Alfred Cowles Jr. (January 5, 1865 – January 15, 1939) was a director of the Chicago Tribune company for 48 years.[1]
Born in Chicago, he was the eldest son of Alfred Cowles Sr. and Sarah Frances Cowles (née Hutchinson).[2][3] His father served as bookkeeper, then secretary-treasurer of the Chicago Tribune, and worked closely with owner Joseph Medill.[4][5]
Alfred Junior graduated from Yale University in 1886.[1] During his senior year, Cowles was captain of the Yale champion varsity crew which set an upstream record on the Thames River which remained unbroken until 1923.[1] He was a member of Skull and Bones.[6]: 50
He engaged in post-graduate work, at Yale Law School from 1887 to 1888, and Northwestern University from 1888 to 1889.[citation needed] Over the years, Cowles continued to be involved with the Yale crew, serving as chief advisor to head coach Edson F. Gallaudet in 1899.[7]
Following admission to the bar in 1889, Cowles practiced law in Chicago for only a few years.[5][1] He became a director of the Chicago Tribune in 1891, two years after his father died.[1] He served as secretary and treasurer of the Tribune from 1889 to 1901.[1]
He was also a director of the Continental Illinois Bank and Trust, as well as the American Radiator Company.[1] A campaigner against government waste, he served as president of the Civic Federation and the Bureau of Public Efficiency from 1932 to 1935.[1]
After graduating from Yale, he married Elizabeth Cheney of Manchester, Connecticut, with whom he had four children: Alfred Cowles III (1891–1984), Knight Cheney Cowles (b. 1892), John Cheney Cowles (b. 1894) and Thomas Hooker Cowles (b. 1895).[8] Alfred Jr. played golf and enjoyed shooting.[1]
In 1928, Alfred Jr., his brother William H. Cowles, and their sister Sarah Frances Stewart donated $350,000 to Yale University to fund the Alfred Cowles Sf. Foundation for the study of government and public affairs.[1]
He had heart disease and died from pneumonia at his home at 1130 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, on January 15, 1939.[1] He left an estate worth $985,000 when he died.[9]