May King Van Rensselaer

[1][2] Van Rensselaer was born into a prominent New York family; her relatives and ancestors included Edward King, John Alsop, William Alexander Duer, Rufus King, and Katherine Duer Mackay.

"[4] Her first genealogical book, The Van Rensselaers of the Manor, a study of her husband's family, was published in 1889.

The New York Times quoted her as saying, "I have been attending the meetings of the New-York Historical Society for nearly three years, and have not heard one new or advanced scientific thought, although many distinguished scholars have visited the city.

"[6] Some scholars credit Van Rensselaer's speech as spurring on the founding of the Museum of the City of New York,[6] which officially opened six years later in 1923.

[11] On October 4, 1871, she married John King Van Rensselaer, president of the Stirling Fire Insurance Company.