Francis Anthony Drexel

American banker

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June 25, 2026

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Francis Anthony Drexel was an American banker and philanthropist. He co-owned the Philadelphia Public Ledger and was instrumental in founding Drexel, Morgan and Company in New York City and Drexel, Harjes and Company in Paris. His banking activities included the flotation of government bonds, railroad organization, mining development, and urban real estate.1

Drexel was also a significant philanthropist, with his generosity benefiting various churches, hospitals, and charities. Notably, he founded the Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia, which is now known as Drexel University. His daughter, Katharine Drexel, became a Roman Catholic saint and founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, dedicating her life and fortune to the welfare of Native Americans and African Americans.123

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St. Katharine Drexel
Early life and meeting the pope
…the American financier and philanthropist Francis Anthony Drexel. Her mother, Hannah Langstroth, died five weeks after Katharine was born, and Katharine and her sister were cared for by their aunt and uncle until their father remarried in 1860. The family was active in charitable works and distributed food, clothing, and…
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…the American financier and philanthropist Francis Anthony Drexel. Her mother, Hannah Langstroth, died five weeks after Katharine was born, and Katharine and her sister were cared for by their aunt and uncle until their father remarried in 1860. The family was active in charitable works and distributed food, clothing, and…
Read More