George Coleman De Kay
1802–1849
American Naval Officer and Patriarch of an Artistic Legacy
American naval officer and patriarch of the De Kay line, whose children helped found the Art Students League and the Society of American Artists.
George Coleman De Kay was born on March 5, 1802, in New York City. He became a distinguished American naval officer, remembered for his service during a formative period in U.S. maritime history.
De Kay was a member of a notable family, including his brother James Ellsworth De Kay, a prominent Portuguese-American naturalist. George Coleman De Kay's own lineage continued a tradition of public service and cultural contribution through his children.
Among his children was Helena de Kay Gilder (born January 14, 1846), an accomplished illustrator and painter, and a founder of the Art Students League and the Society of American Artists. Helena married Richard Watson Gilder, further intertwining the De Kay and Gilder families, which became a nexus of artistic, literary, and social influence.
Other children included Joseph Rodman Drake DeKay, George Coleman DeKay, Jr., and Sidney Brooks DeKay, all of whom carried on the family's public and military service tradition.