Henry Thomas Oxnard (June 23, 1860 – June 8, 1922) was a French-born, American entrepreneur and namesake of
Oxnard, California and its
Henry T. Oxnard Historic District. Oxnard was president of both the American Beet Sugar Company (which later changed its name to
American Crystal Sugar Company) and the American Beet Sugar Association, which represents all the beet sugar factories in the United States. He and his brothers controlled five sugar factories in the United States.[1]
Background
Henry Thomas Oxnard was born to Adeline (née Brown) and Thomas A. Oxnard. He had three brothers, Robert, Benjamin A. and James G.[citation needed] In 1860, Oxnard's French-born father sold his sugar cane plantations and refinery in
Louisiana, and by doing so was able to escape the business risks of the
American Civil War by returning to his native France where Henry was born in
Marseilles the year before the Civil War started.[2][3] The family returned to the United States where Henry Oxnard would grow up in
Massachusetts and attend
Harvard College.
In 1900, Henry Oxnard married Marie Pichon with whom he had two daughters, Adeline (1901) who was named for her paternal grandmother, and Nadine (1903).[5][6]
Many involved in the horse racing industry were greatly harmed by the 1908
Hart–Agnew Law which led to the closing of all racing in New York state in 1911 and 1912.[10][11] A February 21, 1913 ruling by the
New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division saw horse racing return in 1913.[12] Prior to the restart, in April Henry Oxnard and other wealthy industry leaders created the "Owners Fund" to cover losses for 1913 and 1914 incurred by those less fortunate who might need financial assistance while attempting to get back on their feet again.[13]
"Testimony of H. T. Oxnard". Maintenance of a Lobby to Influence Legislation: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States, Sixty-third Congress, First Session, Pursuant to S. Res. 92, a Resolution Instructing the Committee on the Judiciary to Investigate the Charge that a Lobby is Maintained to Influence Legislation Pending in the Senate. Vol. 2. Washington: Government Printing Office. 1913. pp. 1186–1256.