John Perkins Cushing
American sea merchant, opium smuggler, and philanthropist
Years: 1787 - 1862
John Perkins Cushing (April 22, 1787 – 1862), called "Ku-Shing" by the Chinese, is a wealthy Boston sea merchant, opium smuggler, and philanthropist.
His sixty-foot pilot schooner, the Sylph, wins the first recorded American yacht race in 1832, and the town of Belmont, Massachusetts is named after his estate.
