Cortelyou, George Bruce

Cortelyou, George Bruce (kôr`təly), 1862–1940, American public official and business executive, b. New York City. He taught school, and after learning stenography, he became secretary to several New York City and federal officials. Appointed (1895) stenographer to President Cleveland, Cortelyou became secretary to Presidents McKinley (1900) and Theodore Roosevelt (1901). He also served under Roosevelt as Secretary of Commerce and Labor (1903–4), Postmaster General (1905–7), and Secretary of the Treasury (1907–9). He then left government service and became prominent as an executive of public-utility companies.