Ward Melville

John Ward Melville (January 5, 1887 – June 5, 1977) was an American philanthropist and businessman active in the "Three Villages" in western Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. He donated 400 acres of land and money to establish Stony Brook University in 1957, which has developed as a major public research institution. He played a major role in the development of Melville Corporation, known today as CVS Health. Early life He was born in Brooklyn to Frank Melville Jr. (1860–1935) and his wife, Jennie Florence (née MacConnell) Melville (1857–1939). His father was a nephew of sculptor John Quincy Adams Ward. Ward Melville attended college at Columbia University, where he was active in the Columbia Daily Spectator and the Philolexian Society. Career Following graduation in 1909, Melville joined his father's shoe company, Melville Corporation. Upon the United States' entrance into World War I, Melville became a soldier of the U.S. Army and the firm mass produced shoes for the Army's soldiers.