Edward Russell Thomas (December 30, 1875 – July 6, 1926) was an American businessman and sportsman.

Early life and education

Edward Russell Thomas was born in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

on December 30, 1875. He was a son of Ann Augusta (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Porter) Thomas (1847–1944) and Union general Samuel Russell Thomas (1840–1903), who left a fortune estimated at $20,000,000. His younger sister, Eleanor Thomas, was married to

Robert Livingston Beeckman Robert Livingston Beeckman (April 15, 1866 – January 21, 1935) was an American stockbroker, sportsman, and politician who served as the 52nd Governor of Rhode Island. Early life Beeckman was born on April 15, 1866 in New York City, New York. ...

, who served as the

Governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, o ...

from 1915 to 1921. He graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

in 1894.

Career

Thomas was a senior member of Thomas & Thomas, a Wall Street firm. In 1904, he acquired the ''

New York Morning Telegraph ''The Morning Telegraph'' (1839 – April 10, 1972) (sometimes referred to as the ''New York Morning Telegraph'') was a New York City broadsheet newspaper owned by Moe Annenberg's Cecelia Corporation. It was first published as the ''Sunday ...

'' from the estate of

William Collins Whitney William Collins Whitney (July 5, 1841February 2, 1904) was an American political leader and financier and a prominent descendant of the John Whitney family. He served as Secretary of the Navy in the first administration of President Grover Clev ...

. On October 31, 1905, board vacancies of

Consolidated National Bank Consolidated National Bank of New York was a bank operating in New York City. Also referred to in the press as Consolidated National Bank, the institution was organized on July 1, 1902, with capital of $1 million. Wrote ''The New York Times'', t ...

were filled by E. R. Thomas, O. F. Thomas, Robert Maclay, and George B. Hays, all who were selected by E. R. Thomas. E.R. Thomas sold his interest in the Consolidated National Bank in October 1907, also resigning from his positions. He was a member of the

Union Club of the City of New York The Union Club of the City of New York (commonly known as the Union Club) is a private social club in New York City that was founded in 1836. The clubhouse is located at 101 East 69th Street on the corner of Park Avenue, in a landmark building de ...

Personal life

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He was the first

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

to kill someone in a car accident. On June 29, 1901, he married 17 year old

Linda Lee Thomas Linda Lee Thomas (November 17, 1883 – May 20, 1954) was an American socialite and the wife of musical theatre composer Cole Porter. First marriage She was born Linda Belle Lee to the prominent Lee family of Virginia. Her father was Louisville ...

, a member of the prominent Lee family of Virginia, at

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

. Linda, who was "known as one of the country's most beautiful women," was introduced to Thomas by friends and after their marriage, they lived a life of luxury, with houses in Palm Beach, Manhattan, and Newport. They divorced on October 26, 1912 and she later remarried to well-known

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

composer

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

. In 1912, on the day his first wife obtained her final divorce decree, he married Elizabeth Finley, a daughter of Henry Finley of New York City. Before their 1924 divorce in Florida, they were the parents of one son together: Samuel Finley Thomas (1913–1989), who became a medical doctor. In 1924, he married actress

Lucy Cotton Lucy Cotton (August 29, 1895 – 12 December 1948) was an American actress who appeared in 12 films between 1910 and 1921. Biography Cotton was born in Houston, Texas, United States and died in Miami Beach, Florida.Park Avenue Park Avenue is a wide New York City boulevard which carries north and southbound traffic in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenu ...

and were the parents of one daughter: Lucetta Cotton Thomas (1925–1980), who changed her name to Mary Frances Thomas and married Kenneth Oscar Bailey. Thomas died after a three day illness at the Harbor Sanitarium in New York City on July 6, 1926. He was buried at

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York, is the final resting place of numerous famous figures, including Washington Irving, whose 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is set in the adjacent burying ground at the Old Dutch C ...

Sleepy Hollow, New York Sleepy Hollow is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York, United States. The village is located on the east bank of the Hudson River, about north of New York City, and is served by the Philipse Manor stop on ...

. His daughter Lucetta inherited Thomas' fortune.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Edward Russell 1875 births 1926 deaths Yale University alumni American newspaper publishers (people) Journalists from New York City Consolidated National Bank people American racehorse owners and breeders Burials at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery People from Columbus, Ohio

Early life and education

Career

Personal life

See also

References