Archer M. Huntington

Archer Milton Huntington (1870–1955) inherited great wealth through his mother Arabella Huntington, the second wife of the railroad baron Collis P. Huntington. Archer Huntington devoted his life to philanthropy, with a particular interest in historical, artistic, literary, and archaeological studies relating to Spain, Portugal, and their colonies. Among many other collecting interests, he was a major collector of Spanish coins of all periods.

Huntington served as President of the ANS from 1905 to 1910. This small interval, however, does not begin to convey his importance to the ANS. After providing the land and most of the funding for the ANS building at Audubon Terrace, he set up a trust fund to support salaries, established an endowment to support publications, and made many other contributions to the general endowment and for specific activities. Above all, he gave a large gift of securities in 1944 that for several decades constituted most of the unrestricted endowment of the ANS. As President and as the most important financial supporter for decades thereafter, he always emphasized the importance of rigorous scholarly work as the core of the Society’s mission.

For more information see the ANS Archives.