The Stevens family was a prominent American family in New York and New Jersey in the 18th and 19th centuries, whose descendants played a critical role in the formation of the United States (especially New York City and New Jersey), in leading government and business in North America and served as leaders in business, military, politics, and engineering.

John Stevens Sr. came to America in 1699 at the age of 17 as an indentured clerk. His son, John Stevens Jr., ended up serving in the American Revolutionary War and ended in a career of politics where he served as president of the convention of New Jersey when the state ratified the United States Constitution on December 18, 1787. His son, John Stevens III, was the first Treasurer of New Jersey, a lawyer, engineer, inventor who constructed the first U.S. steam locomotive, first steam-powered ferry, and first U.S. commercial ferry service, and was influential in the creation of U.S. patent law.

Stevens Institute of Technology is named for "America's First Family of inventors" — the Stevens family. The Stevens Family was known as "America's First Family of inventors".^[1] Holding influence over American engineering for decades, designing steamboats, locomotives, railroad tracks and a host of other technical innovations that powered the early United States.^[1]

In 1784, the land now occupied by Stevens Institute of Technology was purchased by John Stevens,^[2] who would later reverse-engineer the British steam locomotive to American standards for domestic manufacture. This innovation would be employed by ferries to Manhattan. Later generations of ferries still run from Hoboken's piers.^[3] Robert L. Stevens, one of John's sons, invented the flanged T rail, a form of railroad rail in prevalent use today, including from the Lackawanna Terminal of Hoboken whose docks are also in a style Robert designed. Along with his brother Edwin A. Stevens, Robert created America's first commercial railroad^[2] presently operating as a large portion of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.

John Cox Stevens, John Stevens' eldest son, was the first commodore of the New York Yacht Club.^[4] He and his brother Edwin built the yacht America and were aboard its 1851 regatta victory in England, later recognized as the first winner of the America's Cup;^[4][5][6] the competition bears the name of the Stevenses' yacht. The New York Yacht Club would defend its title until the 1983 race.

Edwin died in 1868. In his will, he left a bequest for the establishment of an "institution of learning," providing his trustees with land and funds.^[7] Edwin's will was executed by surviving wife, Martha Bayard Stevens, who would also serve as a lifetime Trustee of the institute that now bears the family's name. Martha Stevens oversaw much of the family's philanthropy toward the City of Hoboken, including founding of the Church of the Holy Innocents as a free Episcopal church; a foundling hospital and birthing center at St Mary's Hospital; the Robert L. Stevens Fund for Municipal Research; manual training schools for both boys and young girls in Hoboken; the Hoboken Public Library and Manual Training School.^[8]

Family tree