born Sept. 13, 1826, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.
died June 30, 1893, Carlsbad, Bohemia
U.S. banker and philanthropist.
He and his brothers inherited his father's Philadelphia banking house and built it into a successful investment-banking concern, specializing in flotation of government bonds, railroad organization, mining development, and urban real estate. In 1891 he founded the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry, now Drexel University. He was the uncle of St. Katherine Drexel .