Hugh Pitcairn

Hugh Pitcairn (August 16, 1845 – July 19, 1911)^[1] served as the first United States consul general to Hamburg, German Empire, from 1903 to 1908. He was the brother of Pennsylvania railroad magnate Robert Pitcairn^[2] and industrialist John Pitcairn.

Pitcairn was born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland,^[1] to John Pitcairn Sr. (1803–1884) and Agnes McEwan. He was one of six children resulting from the marriage, and also had two older half-siblings from his father's first marriage.^[3]

In 1846, he emigrated with his family to Allegheny, Pennsylvania, where his uncle, Alexander Pitcairn, had started a woolens business.^[4]

He received a public school education in Allegheny and Altoona, Pennsylvania. He began his career in the railroad service, and held a series of executive positions in the field: first as superintendent of the Susquehanna Division of the Northern Central Railway, in 1866; then as superintendent of the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad in 1868, next as superintendent of the Evansville, Henderson and Nashville Railroad in 1870, and finally, as superintendent of the Pittsburg, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway^[1] from 1872 to 1875.^[5]

Pitcairn then went back to school to study medicine, and following graduation from Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,^[1][6] in 1880, spent two years in post graduate study at the Universities of Berlin and Vienna. He then practiced medicine in Harrisburg from 1880 to 1897.^[5]

In 1875, Pitcairn purchased a half interest the Altoona Tribune, a Pennsylvania daily newspaper. He was to retain this share until his death.^[1][5][7]

Republicano, Pitcairn fue bastante activo en la política local y estatal. El 28 de julio de 1897, el presidente William McKinley lo nombró cónsul en Hamburgo . El 5 de enero de 1903, el presidente Theodore Roosevelt lo ascendió a cónsul general, ^{[ 2 ]} y el Senado de los Estados Unidos lo confirmó el 12 de febrero de 1903. ^{[ 5 ]} Fue la primera persona en ocupar este cargo en Hamburgo. ^{[ 2 ] [ 8 ]} Se retiró del consulado en noviembre de 1908, para pesar de los ciudadanos de Hamburgo, con el fin de dedicarse por completo al ejercicio de la medicina y a sus funciones como copropietario del Altoona Tribune . ^{[ 9 ]}

Pitcairn murió en Hamburgo el 19 de julio de 1911. Le sobrevivieron su esposa y cinco hijos. ^{[ 1 ]}