Tulane, Paul, 1801-1887

Born near Princeton, N.J., the philanthropist Paul Tulane was the son of a French immigrant, Paul Tulane, and Maria Tulane. After working several years in a store in Princeton, Tulane took a lengthy tour of the southern U.S. with a cousin. It was during this sojourn that he developed a keen interest in New Orleans, La. In 1822, he established Paul Tulane and Co. in New Orleans, a retail and wholesale dry goods and clothing business. Later he invested in real estate in both New Orleans and New Jersey. He retired with a large fortune in 1857. Subsequently he gave liberally to charitable institutions and Presbyterian churches of Princeton and New Orleans. In 1882 he donated $363,000 to improve higher education in the city of New Orleans. Tulane's donation ultimately resulted in the renaming of the University of Louisiana (founded as the Medical College of Louisiana) as Tulane University in his honor.

From the description of Paul Tulane letter, 1885 July 30. (Louisiana State University). WorldCat record id: 227339421

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