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FRICK, Henry Clay (1849-1919), American industrialist and philanthropist, born in Westmoreland Co., Pa. In 1871 he organized the H. C. Frick Coke Co., which became one of the largest coke-producing firms in the world. The financial panic of 1873 enabled Frick to acquire the properties of his rivals and so to arrange an alliance, on very favorable terms, with the steel firm of Carnegie Brothers. He was chairman of the board of directors of the Carnegie firm from 1889 to 1900, and during this period his actions in handling the Homestead (Pa.) strike of 1892 led to an attempt at his assassination by the anarchist Alexander Berkman (1870-1936). Frick was a director of many companies, and in 1901 he took a prominent part in the negotiations that resulted in the formation of the United States Steel Corp. On his death he left land and an endowment to provide a park in Pittsburgh, Pa., and bequeathed his house, with its notable collection of paintings, to the city of New York. The bequest, now known as the Frick Collection, is associated with the Frick Art Reference Library. |
