Grant's Tomb: History
The Grant Monument Association

The Grant Monument Association (GMA) was formed within days of Grant's death to secure a fitting tomb.
Former  President Chester A. Arthur  was its president. 
Richard T. Greener, first black graduate of Harvard and political supporter of Grant, served as the GMA's first secretary (1885-1892).

Richard T. Greener

The GMA held two competitions, in 1888 and 1890, in search of a suitable architectural design for Grant's Tomb. It ultimately selected a design submitted by architect John H. Duncan. 

Early rendering of Grant's Tomb

Over $600,000 would be raised by 90,000 people to construct the Tomb.

In 1892, General Horace Porter became the fifth president of the Grant Monument Association in 1892. Porter had served as an aide de camp to Grant during the last year of the war and briefly as his presidential secretary. He played an instrumental role in the most critical stages of funding and constructing the monument. Porter later served as ambassador to France under Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt (1897-1905). He served as president of the GMA until shortly before his death in 1921.

Horace Porter