Anne Valliant Burnett Tandy (October 15, 1900 – January 1, 1980) was an American heiress, rancher, horse breeder, philanthropist and art collector from

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

Early life

Anne Burnett was born on October 15, 1900, in

.National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame: Anne Burnett Tandy
She grew up in Fort Worth. Her father,

Thomas Lloyd Burnett Thomas Lloyd Burnett (1871–1938) was an American rancher from Texas. He owned of land. Early life Thomas Lloyd Burnett was born in 1871 in Denton County, Texas. His father, Samuel Burk Burnett, was the owner of the 6666 Ranch. His mother was R ...

was the owner of the

Triangle Ranch A triangle is a polygon with three edges and three vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC. In Euclidean geometry, any three points, when non-collinear ...

and operated the Tom L. Burnett Cattle Company. Her mother was Olive (Lake) Burnett. Her parents divorced in 1918, when she was eighteen years old.H. Allen Anderson, "TANDY, ANNE VALLIANT BURNETT," ''Handbook of Texas Online'' (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ftase), accessed November 09, 2014. Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Published by the

Texas State Historical Association The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to documenting the history of Texas. It was founded in Austin, Texas, on March 2, 1897. , TSHA moved their offices from Austin to the University of N ...

. Her paternal grandfather,

Samuel Burk Burnett Samuel Burk Burnett (January 1, 1849 – June 27, 1922) was an American cattleman and rancher from Texas, owner of the 6666 Ranch, and namesake of Burkburnett, Texas. Early life Samuel Burk Burnett was born on January 1, 1849, in Bates Count ...

, established the

6666 Ranch The 6666 Ranch (also known as the Four Sixes Ranch or Quad Sixes) is a ranch in King County, Texas as well as Carson County and Hutchinson County. Location The main section of the ranch is located near the town of Guthrie in King County, Texa ...

near

Guthrie, Texas Guthrie is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in, and the county seat of, King County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in the northern part of the state, east of Lubbock. It serves as the principal headquarters of the ...

, after the Civil War. Her paternal step-grandmother was Mary Couts Burnett, a philanthropist whose estate went to

Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples ...

in Fort Worth. Miss Anne, as she was known informally, was educated on the East coast and summered at her father's Triangle Ranch, where she learned ranching as a teenager.

Career

In 1922, aged just 21, she inherited the 6666 Ranch from her grandfather, who had willed it to her in a trust prior to his death, bypassing his wife, Mary Couts Burnett, whom he tried to disinherit after he had her committed. Her grandfather left her $6 million in cash but after Mary Couts Burnett challenged the will, the court gave them each $3 million in cash but Anne also kept the ranch and oil interests. Upon her father's death in 1938, she also inherited his estate, including the Triangle Ranch and more oil interests, and her wealth increased considerably. His estate was worth more than $3 million. She became a renowned breeder of

American Quarter Horse The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less; some have been clocked at s ...

s. She purchased Grey Badger I in 1949 and kept

Streakin Six Streakin Six (1977–2005) was an American Quarter Horse stallion and a famous racehorse as well as a breeding stallion. He was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2011. Life Streakin Six was a 1977 stallion bred by the Tom ...

Dash For Cash Dash For Cash (April 17, 1973May 20, 1996) was an American Quarter Horse racehorse and an influential sire in the Quarter Horse breed. Racing career Dash For Cash won $507,688 during his career and was the Racing World Champion in 1976 and 1 ...

, and

Special Effort Special Effort (April 9, 1979 – March 11, 2006) was an American Quarter Horse stallion who won the 1981 All American Futurity. He was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Association's (or AQHA) Hall of Fame in 2008.Staff "Hall of F ...

at her 6666 Ranch. She served on the board of directors of the

First National Bank of Fort Worth First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

, the

Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo (formally the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show) is the oldest continuously running livestock show and rodeo. It has been held annually in Fort Worth, Texas since 1896, traditionally in mid-January thro ...

, and was on the board of trustees of Texas Christian University. She was the first woman to serve as a member of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and the

West Texas Chamber of Commerce The West Texas Chamber of Commerce was the chamber of commerce for West Texas from 1918 to 1988. History The West Texas Chamber of Commerce was founded in Fort Worth, Texas in December 1918. Its first convention took place in Mineral Wells, Texas ...

Philanthropy

She co-founded the

American Quarter Horse Association The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), based in Amarillo, Texas, is an international organization dedicated to the preservation, improvement and record-keeping of the American Quarter Horse. The association sanctions many competitive even ...

, where she served as Honorary Vice President. Additionally, she founded the American Quarter Horse Heritage Center and Museum. She also served on the boards of trustees of the

Amon Carter Museum Amon may refer to: Mythology * Amun, an Ancient Egyptian deity, also known as Amon and Amon-Ra * Aamon, a Goetic demon People Momonym * Amon of Judah ( 664– 640 BC), king of Judah Given name * Amon G. Carter (1879–1955), American pu ...

in Fort Worth, the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

in New York, the

National Cowboy Hall of Fame The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 Western and American Indian art works and artifacts. The facility also has the world's most extensive collection of Ame ...

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

, and the

Ranching Heritage Association A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...

Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...

. She also served as Vice President of the

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, Inc., is an organization established in 1877 by forty Texas cattlemen for the purpose of combating unbridled livestock theft. The association headquarters is located in Fort Worth. History The T ...

. She was an avid art collector and amassed a premier collection of artworks by Picasso, Gauguin, Matisse, Klee, Modigliani, Nolde, Manzu, Miro, and Leger. After her fourth husband's death in 1978, she founded the eponymous Anne Burnett Tandy and Charles D. Tandy Foundation."TANDY FOUNDATION," ''Handbook of Texas Online'' (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/vrtnr), accessed November 11, 2014. Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. The foundation donated to non-profit organizations in the Fort Worth area. She received the Golden Deeds Award from the Exchange Club of Fort Worth in 1975.

Personal life

She first married

Guy Waggoner Guy Leslie Waggoner (September 21, 1883 – December 11, 1950) was an American rancher and business executive. He inherited one fourth of the Waggoner Ranch in Texas. Later, he owned the Bell Ranch in New Mexico. He served as Chairman of the Texas ...

, an heir to the

Waggoner Ranch The Waggoner Ranch is a historic north Texas ranch located 13 miles south of Vernon, Texas. The land was used primarily to raise crops, beef cattle and horses as well as for oil production. It was notable for being the largest ranch within one fen ...

, in 1922 and divorced in 1928. They lived at the Waggoner Ranch and when in Fort Worth they lived with her mother Ollie at her palatial home at 4910 Crestline Road. Waggoner was not a faithful husband; one day she drove away, smashing through all the gates instead of opening them, and left the car running at the train station. Her second marriage was to James Goodwin Hall in 1932. They married in New York City at

Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) church in New York City. The church, on Fifth Avenue at 7 West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan, has approximately 2,200 members and is one of the larger PCUSA congregations. The ...

. They had a daughter, Anne Burnett, born in November 1938. They resided in a hilltop home on Spanish Trail in Westover Hills in Fort Worth, designed by

John F. Staub John Fanz Staub (September 12, 1892 – April 13, 1981) was a residential architect who designed numerous traditionally-styled homes and mansions, mostly in Houston, Texas, from the 1920s to 1960s. Early life John F. Staub was born on September ...

. The estate underwent significant renovations in the early 1950s, with a pool and modern entertaining pavilion and games room designed and decorated by

William Haines Charles William Haines (January 2, 1900 – December 26, 1973) was an American actor and interior designer. Haines was discovered by a talent scout and signed with Goldwyn Pictures in 1922. His career gained momentum when he received favo ...

and

Melanie Kahane Melanie Kahane (1910–1988) was an American interior designer and 1985 inductee of the Interior Design Hall of Fame. She was first recognized in the design world as the pioneer of one of the first colored kitchen appliances: a shiny red stove. Thi ...

. It was featured in the August 1956 issue of ''House & Garden'' magazine. After they divorced, she married Robert Frairy Windfohr in 1942, who died in 1964. Her mother Ollie Lake Burnett died in 1966. In 1944 she purchased the President

Vargas diamond The Vargas Diamond, discovered in Brazil on August 13, 1938 (July 1938 according to Ball & Kerr) by Joaquim Venancio Tiago and Manoel Miguel Domingues, was when pulled out of the ground. Twenty-nine smaller diamonds were Diamond cut, carved from ...

ring from

Harry Winston Harry Winston (March 1, 1896December 8, 1978) was an American jeweler. He donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958 after owning it for a decade. He also traded the Portuguese Diamond to the Smithsonian in 1963 in exchang ...

for $420,000. The 48-carat emerald-cut ring was so heavy she couldn't lift her hand while wearing it. It was sold back to Winston in 1958. In 1949 they commissioned architect

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

to design a new house on a site in Westover Hills. Named 'Crownfield', the modernist design included a single level of circular-shaped and domed structures with a gold ceiling in the living room. Wright's unwillingness to include air-conditioning was one reason why the plans never came to fruition. In 1969, she married

Charles Tandy Charles David Tandy (15 May 1918 – 4 November 1978) was the chairman of the board, president, and chief executive officer of the Tandy Corporation. Early life Charles Tandy was born in Brownsville, Texas to Dave L. Tandy, who ran the Hinckley-T ...

, the founder of the

Tandy Corporation Tandy Corporation was an American family-owned leather goods company based in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. Tandy Leather was founded in 1919 as a leather supply store. By the end of the 1950s, under the tutelage of then-CEO Charles Tandy, ...

. In the early sixties, she commissioned Chinese-American architect

I.M. Pei Ieoh Ming Pei
– website of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners ( ; ; April 26, 1917 – May 16, 2019) was ...

to design a new house in their site in Westover Hills, the site of the dumped Crownfield project. Pei's dramatic 19,000 square-foot concrete and marble structure – which took two years to design and three years to build – was completed in 1969 and set a new standard in Dallas–Fort Worth for vanguard residential design, and became a local tourist attraction. It featured concrete walls bush-hammered to expose a quartz and pink feldspar aggregate. A raked skylighted shed-roof rising over a marble-floor entertainment area with bar gave the home its profile-identity. It was featured in the November 1970 issue of ''House & Garden'' magazine. It was the first house Pei designed.Betsy Simnacher
Hidden Gardens tour in Fort Worth highlights rare water features, an oilman's estate and more
''

The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...

'', March 15, 2013 She became a widow in 1978.

Death and legacy

She died of cancer on January 1, 1980, at her Fort Worth home. She was buried at Greenwood Memorial Park in Fort Worth. Her estate was inherited by her only daughter. Prior to her death, she was in talks with celebrated Mexican architect

Luis Barragan Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish form of the originally Germanic name or . Other Iberian Romance languages have comparable forms: (with an accent mark on the i) in Portuguese and Galician, in Aragonese and Catalan, while is archaic ...

about designing a new ranch house. Meanwhile, she was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Association posthumously in 1990, and into the

National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is located in Fort Worth, Texas, US. Established in 1975, it is dedicated to honoring women of the American West who have displayed extraordinary courage and pioneering fortitude. The museum is an educ ...

in 2002. In 1994, she was inducted into the

Hall of Great Westerners The Hall of Great Westerners was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1958. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of more than 200 men and women of the American W ...

of the

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 American West, Western and Native Americans in the United States, American Indian art works and Artifact (archaeology), ar ...

References