Harrison Ruffin Tyler, the grandson of John Tyler, the 10th U.S. president, has died at the age of 96.
Harrison Tyler passed away on May 25, as announced by the Sherwood Forest Plantation Foundation, which manages the historic Tyler family residence in Virginia.
“His passing leaves a deep void for his family who cherished him as a father and grandfather. Harrison Tyler profoundly impacted lives through his business achievements, notably at ChemTreat, a company he began in 1968,” revealed the foundation in a Facebook post.
President John Tyler’s last surviving grandchild has passed at 96. There was more than a 200-year gap between the birth of President Tyler and the death of his last grandchild.
Harrison Tyler graduated from William and Mary, the same university where his father was the president for over 30 years, and Virginia Tech, where he studied chemical engineering.
In 1968, Tyler and his business partner, William P. Simmons, opened a water treatment company called ChemTreat.
After founding ChemTreat, Harrison Tyler acquired the historic plantation Sherwood Forest, which once belonged to his grandfather, and oversaw its restoration.
Today, the plantation is open to the public.
Sherwood Forest was the home of the Tyler family. (National Archives/Newsmakers)
Harrison Tyler also paid for the preservation of Fort Pocahontas, a Civil War-era fort built by Black soldiers of the Union’s U.S. Colored Troops, which is near Sherwood Forest.
At William and Mary, students and other guests can attend the Harrison Ruffin Tyler Department of History, which was named in his honor after he donated books and $5 million.
Harrison Tyler’s wife, Frances Payne Bouknight Tyler, died in 2019, and his brother, Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr., died in 2020, making Harrison Tyler the last living grandchild of the 10th president.
Harrison Tyler is survived by his three children and multiple grandchildren.
The president’s birth and his grandson’s death were separated by 235 years.
Nick Butler is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Do you have any tips? Reach out to Nick.Butler@Fox.com.
