Benjamin Patronius
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Benjamin Patronius (b. 1875) is a medical doctor (MD, Harvard, 1902) and millionaire with a lifelong curiosity for antiquities and a love of high adventure. He was severely injured at the age of 30 in a mountain climbing accident during a 1905 attempt to summit Kanchenunga. The accident resulted in the loss of one eye and left Patronius crippled, able to walk only with the aid of a cane and leg brace. It did nothing however to staunch his desire for adventure. He joined The Explorers Club later that year, dedicating himself to sponsoring a number of scientific expeditions, as well as providing patronage to a number of individual club members.
The Patronius family wealth was established by Ben's grandfather and father, Jacob and Joseph, through the purchase of land (much of it bank-foreclosed farms) in the western Untied States that later proved to be rich in petroleum and natural gas deposits. They also invested early in such technologies as the electrical telegraph and radio. Joseph Patronius established an investment brokerage on Wall Street and later held a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. Ben, along with his older brothers Joseph and Reuben, was raised in opulence and given the best education. With the responsibility of the family business assumed by the eldest siblings, Benjamin studied the sciences as an undergraduate and went on to medical school. Restless to see the world, upon completing his medical training, Benjamin proposed to his father the he would travel the world and provide medical aid to the poor. The elder Patronius felt the idea worthy and approved.
The young doctor kept to his plan, providing medical aid to the needy people he encountered as he traveled the globe climbing mountains and braving jungles. He was depicted numerous times in the press, both for his acts of generosity as well as his feats of derring-do.
In 1904, physician and photographer Jules Jacot-Guillarmod proposed to Patronius an amazing expedition: to summit one of the highest-known peak in the world, Kanchenjunga. Patronius agreed to finance the expedition only if he could accompany the climbers. The expedition set out the following year. Jacot-Guillarmod brought along a friend who was an experienced climber, the British occultist Aleister Crowley, who would act as expedition leader. The expedition started well but quickly began to unravel, largely due to the arrogant and abusive behavior of Crowley. On several occasions, the occultist and Patronius nearly came to blows. Crowley was particularly abusive to the porters, the sight of which offended both Jacot-Guillarmod and Patronius. After a small avalanche set them back, they attempted to remove Crowley as team leader but were unable to settle the argument. The expedition continued until there was an accident: a fall and an avalanche that resulted in several injuries and deaths. Everyone joined in the rescue attempt but Crowley, who sat in his tent drinking tea. The next day Crowley walked past the site of the accident and the recovering climbers without a word. He then proceeded to Darjeeling where he stole the remaining expedition funds and fled. Patronius, who was severely injured and crippled as a result of the accident, harbors an intense and well-known dislike for Crowley, considering him not only a personal foe but "an enemy of all mankind."
After recovering from his injuries, with the crippling of his leg and the loss of one eye, Patronius could no longer practice medicine or explore the world. From 1906 to 1916, he worked in his father's investment house, establishing a personal fortune that he would later use to finance private expeditions and provide patronage to adventurers. In 1916 he established his own investment firm in Chicago, where he now makes his home.
Patronius as Patron
Patronius is a multimillionaire from his family fortune as well as provident investments.
Patron (Dr. Patronius) (Frequency: 9 or less; Multimillionaire with extensive social or political power) [15]