John L. Severance

John Long Severance (8 May 1863 - 16 January 1936), was an American businessman, and patron of the arts in Ohio.

He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on 8 May 1863, the son of Louis Severance (1838-1913), a founding member of the Standard Oil Trust, the first treasurer of Standard Oil, and his wife Fannie Buckingham Benedict (1839–1874).

Severance was a graduate of Oberlin College in 1885.

He worked for Standard Oil in Cleveland until 1892, when he joined Cleveland Linseed Oil Co., a paint and varnish company.

Severance donated $2.66 million of the $7 million of the cost of building Severance Hall, home of the Cleveland Orchestra. On the opening night, Feb. 5, 1931, he was shared his personal box with Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Severance married Elisabeth Huntington DeWitt (1865–1929) in 1891. They had no children. He is buried in Lake View Cemetery.