Higginson, Henry L(ee) (1834–1919)

US banker and philanthropist. After an unsuccessful utopian experiment running a cotton plantation by paying the former slaves 1866–67, he joined his father's Boston banking house in 1868, where he prospered. A music lover, in 1881 he founded the Boston Symphony Orchestra and remained its sole underwriter until 1918, paying out an estimated $1 million.

Higginson was born in New York City. In 1837 the family moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where his father was a commission merchant. On a tour through Europe in 1852, Henry became enthralled by music. He returned to the USA to work in a merchant office but an inheritance from his uncle in 1856 allowed him to return to Europe to take up music (piano and composition); an injury combined with a lack of talent impeded his success. Back in Boston, in 1860 he fought with the Union army in the Civil War. He left much of his fortune to Harvard, Radcliffe, and other colleges.