April 21st, 1862 - April 15th, 1912
He is a Taurus
John Borland Thayer II was an American businessman who had a 30 year career as a executive with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. He was a director and a second vice-president of the company when he died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic. In his youth, John B. was also a prominent sportsman, playing baseball and lacrosse for the University of Pennsylvania and first class cricket for the Philadelphian cricket team. He is the only first-class cricketer known to have died aboard Titanic. He was born in Haverford, Philadelphia. John B. married Marian Longstreth Morris (1872 - 1944), the daughter of Frederick Wistar Morris and Elizabeth Flower Paul, on November 9th, 1892 in Philadelphia. Both her parents were descendants of old-moneyed Philadelphia families. They had four children:
John "Jack" Borland Thayer III (1894 - 1045)
Frederick Morris Thayer (1896 - 1956)
Margaret Thayer (1898 - 1960)
Pauline Thayer (1901 - 1981)
After leaving the University of Pennsylvania in 1881, John B. entered the service of the Pennsylvania Railroad as a clerk in the Empire Line office, remaining in that position for about eighteen months, when he was transferred to the general freight department. After holding various positions in 1888 he was appointed freight solicitor of the United Railroads of New Jersey division.
From February of 1889 to May of 1892, John B. was out of railway work before returning to the PRR in May of 1892, as division freight agent of the Northern Central, with headquarters at Baltimore, MD. On December 1st, 1894, he was promoted to assistant general freight agent, with office at Philadelphia, Pa., and in March of 1897, was made general freight agent in charge of through traffic. In May of 1899, he was appointed general freight agent also of the Northern Central, the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore, and the West Jersey & Seashore. John B. was elected fifth vice-president, in charge of traffic of the Pennsylvania Railroad on June 1st, 1903.
In October of 1905, he became fourth vice-president; in March of 1909, third vice-president; and in March of 1911, second vice-president of the company. John B. was a director of the Pennsylvania Railroad and its more important controlled lines east of Pittsburgh, including the Long Island and the New York Connecting; he was director and president of the Eric & Western Transport union Company, and was a director of the Norfolk & Western and the Lehigh & Hudson River. He was a member of a large number of clubs and organizations, including the Philadelphia Club, the Union League and the Union Club of New York, the Metropolitan Club of Washington. D. C, the Railroad Club of New York, and the Chamber of Commerce of the state of New York.
Onboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912:
John B. and his family had been in Berlin as buestw of the American Consul General and Mrs. Thackara two weeks prior to boarding the RMS Titanic as first class passengers at Cherbourg, France. They occupied cabins C-68. Later that evening, John B., Marian, and Jack joined Lucile and William Carter, Major Butt, and Captain Smith at a dinner party held by George, Harry, and Eleanor Widener, in the á la carte restaurant. The family were preparing for bed when the collision occurred. Jack went up immediately to investigate, he returned to their stateroom and they followed them back on deck.
As the boats were prepared for lowering, John B. and Jack said goodbye to Marian. They believed that she got away in a boat but Chief Second Steward George Dodd advised them that she was still onboard. They found her again and, after losing Jack in the crowd, John saw Marian safety into lifeboat 4. He also made sure their maid boarded a lifeboat after being told by Thomas Andrews that the stricken ship did not have "much over an hour to live." John B. had no intention of boarding a lifeboat. He stuck with George and Harry Widener and Charles Duane Williams. When all the boats were gone, Colonel Gracie saw John B. looking "pale and determined" by the midship rail aft of lifeboat 7 talking with George Widener. They may have moved towards the stern like so many other passengers and crew because when Gracie returned a short while later they had gone.
John B.'s body if found, was never identified.
Initially, the British media had reported that John B. had survived the sinking, due to confusion between him and his son.
Portrayals:
John Borland Thayer (Titanic Musical; 1997)
Sources:
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org
Titanic wiki
Wikipedia
Rest In Peace John B. Thayer