Founded in 1833 by Abraham Samuel Platt, the Platt Foundation was
established to help underprivileged young men obtain an education in
business, science, medicine or law. Abraham Platt was my great great
great grandfather who made a fortune in real estate and stock market
investing (some say he was ruthless and unethical). However he made
his fortune, he put it to good use. The Platt Foundation has helped
hundreds of men and women get a good education and according to the
trustees, the foundation has paid out over $20,000,000 in tuition
and related educational expenses since its inception. The foundation
is located on the corner of Platt Street and William Street.
Platt Street takes its name from Abraham Platt who owned most of
the land up and down the street. Platt Street is a few blocks
from Wall Street, where Abraham spent many hours trading stocks
and bonds.
