Uriah Phillips Levy (April 22, 1792 – March 26, 1862) was a naval officer, real estate investor, and philanthropist.
en.wikipedia.org
Saved Monticello.
The second unsubstantiated account has Levy in the White House, meeting with President Andrew Jackson. Levy supposedly told Jackson that he had heard about the sad state of Monticello, and had been thinking of buying it "in honor of Mr. Jefferson, whom I love." General Jackson replied with vigor, "I order you, sir, to buy it." "I always obey the orders of my superior, Mr. President," Levy replied, and headed up the mountain.[4]
www.monticello.org
Jew serving as a Naval Officer, when such things were still a novelty.
www.timesofisrael.com
Uriah Phillips Levy was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 22 April 1792. While best known as the US Navy's first Jewish flag officer, he was also of Hispanic origin, being descended from Sephardic Jews who had left Spain to avoid the Inquisition. His maternal great-great-grandfather, Dr. Samuel Nunes Riberio, was one of the original settlers of Savannah, Georgia, in 1733. Levy entered the merchant service at ten years of age and after varied interesting and dangerous experiences, rose to the position of master and owner of vessels previous to his appointment to the Navy.
For an officer of the era, he was enlightened.
Captain or Commodore Levy, as he was called because of his command of a squadron, was a strong advocate for the suppression of corporal punishment in the Navy, and his untiring efforts toward this end had great influence in securing its abolition by Congress in 1850.
As far as his career goes, he was officially retired when the war started [In October 1859 the command of the Mediterranean Squadron was turned over to him. This was his last active duty. He died at his residence, 107 St. Mark's Place, New York, 22 March 1862.] but Lincoln brought him back in late 1861 to sit on Captain's Masts at Brooklyn Navy Yard so another officer could be freed up for fleet duty.
www.history.navy.mil
Fun (bonus) fact - his brother Jonas was pre-Confederacy, being still vexed that Congress had not paid him $200k for a factory he owned in Mexico during the war that American forces had destroyed. At the time of his brother Uriah's posting to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Jonas was petitioning Richmond for a CSN commission so he could have a raider built in France and take it into East River - and shell the yard.
en.wikipedia.org
Uriah P. Levy - Wikipedia
Saved Monticello.
The second unsubstantiated account has Levy in the White House, meeting with President Andrew Jackson. Levy supposedly told Jackson that he had heard about the sad state of Monticello, and had been thinking of buying it "in honor of Mr. Jefferson, whom I love." General Jackson replied with vigor, "I order you, sir, to buy it." "I always obey the orders of my superior, Mr. President," Levy replied, and headed up the mountain.[4]
Uriah Phillips Levy
Uriah Phillips Levy, a U.S. Navy officer and significant character in Jewish-American history, purchased Monticello to preserve it in Jefferson's memory..
www.monticello.org
Jew serving as a Naval Officer, when such things were still a novelty.
The lost story of how a Jewish family saved Thomas Jefferson’s famous home – twice
New documentary film 'The Levys of Monticello' shows how uncle and nephew fought antisemitism to rescue Monticello from ruin and preserve it for future generations to enjoy
www.timesofisrael.com
Uriah Phillips Levy was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 22 April 1792. While best known as the US Navy's first Jewish flag officer, he was also of Hispanic origin, being descended from Sephardic Jews who had left Spain to avoid the Inquisition. His maternal great-great-grandfather, Dr. Samuel Nunes Riberio, was one of the original settlers of Savannah, Georgia, in 1733. Levy entered the merchant service at ten years of age and after varied interesting and dangerous experiences, rose to the position of master and owner of vessels previous to his appointment to the Navy.
For an officer of the era, he was enlightened.
Captain or Commodore Levy, as he was called because of his command of a squadron, was a strong advocate for the suppression of corporal punishment in the Navy, and his untiring efforts toward this end had great influence in securing its abolition by Congress in 1850.
As far as his career goes, he was officially retired when the war started [In October 1859 the command of the Mediterranean Squadron was turned over to him. This was his last active duty. He died at his residence, 107 St. Mark's Place, New York, 22 March 1862.] but Lincoln brought him back in late 1861 to sit on Captain's Masts at Brooklyn Navy Yard so another officer could be freed up for fleet duty.
Levy, Uriah Phillips
Uriah Phillips Levy was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 22 April 1792. While best known as the US Navy’s first Jewish flag officer, he was also of Hispanic origin, being descended from Sephardic Jews who had left Spain to avoid the Inquisition. His maternal great-great-grandfather, Dr...
Fun (bonus) fact - his brother Jonas was pre-Confederacy, being still vexed that Congress had not paid him $200k for a factory he owned in Mexico during the war that American forces had destroyed. At the time of his brother Uriah's posting to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Jonas was petitioning Richmond for a CSN commission so he could have a raider built in France and take it into East River - and shell the yard.
Talk about the brother-on-brother aspect of this war.
Jonas Phillips Levy - Wikipedia
U.P. Levy, USN
Bringing the