Emily Thorn Vanderbilt (January 31, 1852 – July 28, 1946) was an American philanthropist and a member of the prominent

Vanderbilt family The Vanderbilt family is an American family who gained prominence during the Gilded Age. Their success began with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the family expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthr ...

. She financed the creation of New York's

Sloane Hospital for Women The Sloane Hospital for Women is the obstetrics and gynecology service within NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (P&S) in New York City. It was ...

in 1888 with an endowment of more than $1,000,000.

Early life

She was born in 1852 as the fifth child, and second daughter, of

William Henry Vanderbilt William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the eldest son of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, an heir to his fortune and a prominent member of the Vanderbilt family. Vanderbi ...

(1821–1885) and Maria Louisa Kissam (1821–1896). Her paternal grandparents were

Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into lead ...

(1794–1877) and his wife, Sophia Johnson (1795–1868).

Philanthropy and work

She financed the creation of New York's

with an endowment of more than $1,000,000. The hospital is now part of

NewYork-Presbyterian The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is a nonprofit academic medical center in New York City affiliated with two Ivy League medical schools, Cornell University and Columbia University. The hospital comprises seven distinct campuses located in the New ...

Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian (MSCH or CHONY) is a women's and children's hospital at 3959 Broadway, near West 165th Street, in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is a part of NewYork-Pr ...

and still in use today. In 1885, she and her husband commissioned

Peabody and Stearns Peabody & Stearns was a premier architectural firm in the Eastern United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the firm consisted of Robert Swain Peabody (1845–1917) and John Goddard Stearns J ...

to build Elm Court, the mammoth shingle-style 'cottage' in

Lenox, Massachusetts Lenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The town is based in Western Massachusetts and part of the Pittsfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,095 at the 2020 census. Lenox is the site of Shakespeare & Company and T ...

Personal life

In 1872, the twenty year old Vanderbilt was married to

William Douglas Sloane William Douglas Sloane (February 29, 1844 – March 19, 1915) was an American businessman, sportsman, philanthropist, and member of New York society during the Gilded Age. Early life Sloane was born in New York City on February 29, 1844. He was t ...

(1844–1915). Sloane was the brother of

Henry T. Sloane Henry Thompson Sloane (December 1, 1845 – September 18, 1937) was an American businessman during the Gilded Age. Early life Sloane was born in New York City on December 1, 1845. He was the fourth son of William Sloane (1810–1879) and Euphem ...

of the carpet firm W. & J. Sloane, and together, Emily and William became the parents of three daughters and two sons, including: * Florence Adele Sloane (1873–1960), wife of James Abercrombie Burden Jr. and of Richard Montgomery Tobin. *

Emily Vanderbilt Sloane Emily Vanderbilt Sloane Hammond (September 17, 1874 – February 22, 1970) was an author, philanthropist, and socialite. She was a member of the Vanderbilt family, and mother of music producer John Hammond. She was a keen musician and was presiden ...

(1874–1970), who married lawyer John Henry Hammond III. * Lila Vanderbilt Sloane (1878–1934), wife of William Bradhurst Osgood Field. * William Douglas Sloane (1883–1884) * Malcolm Douglas Vanderbilt Sloane (1885–1924), who married Elinor Lee. The family lived at the

Vanderbilt Triple Palace The Triple Palace, also known as the William H. Vanderbilt House, was an elaborate mansion at 640 Fifth Avenue between 51st Street and 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The urban mansion, completed in 1882 to designs by John B. ...

on Fifth Avenue in New York City. In 1920, after Sloane's death, she married Henry White (1850–1927), American Ambassador to France and Italy, and a signatory of the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...

. She died on July 28, 1946, in

Descendants

Emily Thorn Vanderbilt Sloane White's grandchildren include Adele Hammond, paternal grandmother of actor

Timothy Olyphant Timothy David Olyphant ( ; born May 20, 1968) is an American actor. He made his acting debut in an off-Broadway theater in 1995, in ''The Monogamist'', and won the Theatre World Award for his performance, and then originated David Sedaris' ''Th ...

, Alice Frances Hammond, wife of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

musician

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...

, Rachel Hammond, cattle breeder, and wife of Manley D. Breck, and John Henry Hammond II, talent scout.

Family tree

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanderbilt, Emily Thorn 1852 births 1946 deaths Emily Thorn American people of Dutch descent Gilded Age People included in New York Society's Four Hundred Burials at the Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum