George Washington Vanderbilt III (September 23, 1914 – June 24, 1961) was an American yachtsman and scientific explorer who was 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 ...
.
Early life
Born in
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, ...
, he was the younger son of
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Sr. (October 20, 1877 – May 7, 1915) was a wealthy American businessman, and a member of the Vanderbilt family. A sportsman, he participated in and pioneered a number of related endeavors. He died in the sinking of ...
and Margaret Emerson. He was the brother of
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. and a half-brother to
William Henry Vanderbilt III
William Henry Vanderbilt III (November 24, 1901April 14, 1981) was Governor of Rhode Island and a member of the wealthy and socially prominent Vanderbilt family.
Early life
William Henry Vanderbilt III was born in New York City on November 24, ...
from his father's first marriage to Ellen "Elsie" French. In 1915, when George was less than a year old, his father perished in the sinking of the
RMS ''Lusitania''. His inheritance was estimated as high as . He received the first quarter of his inheritance at 21, then 25, 30, and the last at 35.
His mother, Margaret, remarried two more times, first to
Raymond T. Baker, with whom she had a daughter, Gloria Baker (1920–1975), and second, to Charles Minot Amory.
He was a grandson of
Cornelius Vanderbilt II
Cornelius "Corneil" Vanderbilt II (November 27, 1843 – September 12, 1899) was an American socialite
and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.
Noted forebears
He was the favorite grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbil ...
and
Alice Claypoole Gwynne
Alice Claypoole Vanderbilt (; November 11, 1845 – April 24, 1934) was the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and reigned as the matriarch of the Vanderbilt family for over 60 years.
Early life and relatives
Alice Claypoole Gwynne was born on Novem ...
and was named in honor of his great-great-uncle George Washington Vanderbilt and his great-uncle
George Washington Vanderbilt II
George Washington Vanderbilt II (November 14, 1862 – March 6, 1914) was an art collector and member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, which amassed a huge fortune through steamboats, railroads, and various business enterprises. He commission ...
. Vanderbilt's maternal grandfather,
Isaac Edward Emerson, was a very wealthy businessman who made a fortune in a variety of business ventures including
patent medicine
A patent medicine, sometimes called a proprietary medicine, is an over-the-counter (nonprescription) medicine or medicinal preparation that is typically protected and advertised by a trademark and trade name (and sometimes a patent) and claimed ...
s, the most notable of which was
Bromo-Seltzer
Bromo-Seltzer was a brand of antacid formulated to relieve pain occurring together with heartburn, upset stomach, or acid indigestion. It originally contained sodium bromide and acetanilide, both toxic substances which were eventually removed. ...
. A sailing enthusiast, Emerson instilled a love for the sport in young George from an early age and as an adult, he used his sailing skills and wealth for scientific research.
He attended the
St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire and the
Adirondack-Florida School studying at the
Saranac branch in New York as well as in Miami.
Career
In 1936 and 1937, George Vanderbilt sponsored a renewal of auto races for the
Vanderbilt Cup
The Vanderbilt Cup was the first major trophy in American auto racing.
History
An international event, it was founded by William Kissam Vanderbilt II in 1904 and first held on October 8 on a course set out in Nassau County, New York, Nassa ...
, founded by his uncle,
William Kissam Vanderbilt II
William Kissam Vanderbilt II (October 26, 1878 – January 8, 1944) was an American motor racing enthusiast and yachtsman, and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family.
Early life
He was born on October 26, 1878, in New York City, the seco ...
, in 1904.
During World War II, he served in the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
like his two brothers. He was promoted to lieutenant on May 1, 1943,
and received the
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...
award.
Scientific research
Vanderbilt did not attend college, but by the time he turned 21, he had already led two expeditions to
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
and
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, with some lasting up to 10 months, bringing back various snakes, fish, insects and birds.
In 1937, he went on a six month with the
Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, formerly the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the Americas. It was founded in 1812, by many of the leading natura ...
to the South Seas, bringing back 20,000 species of birds, fish and reptiles.
He owned several yachts and used them to conduct scientific expeditions all over the globe. His voyages conducted important research in expeditions to
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
in 1934 and aboard the schooner ''Cressida'', he made
an ocean journey in 1937 to the
South Pacific (visiting many islands with a wide geographic range) that carried out a systematic study of more than 10,000 fish specimens (434 species in 210 genera).
His fifth major expedition was on the schooner ''Pioneer'' in 1941 to the
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
,
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
,
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
,
Galapagos Archipelago and
Mexican Pacific Islands.
He established the George Vanderbilt Foundation, of which he was president, for scientific research around
marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies s ...
.
However, outside of academic circles, his important work has mostly been overshadowed by the lavish lifestyles and the
Vanderbilt mansions
From the late 1870s to the 1920s, the Vanderbilt family employed some of the United States's best Beaux-Arts architects and decorators to build an unequalled string of townhouses in New York City and East Coast palaces in the United States. Many ...
of some of the other members of the Vanderbilt family.
Personal life
George Vanderbilt was married four times throughout his life. His first marriage was in 1935, when he married Louise "Lulu" Miriam Parsons (1912–2013). Lulu was born in Montclair, New Jersey and her father, J. Lester Parsons, founded the international re-insurance firm of
Crum & Forster in 1896.
Together, George and Louise had:
*Lucille Margaret Vanderbilt (1938 - 2018), who was married to Philip Brady, Jr from 1958 until their divorce 1962. Later in 1962, she married Robert Mathews Balding, divorcing in 1970. Her third and final marriage was to Wallace Fennel Pate (1933-1993).
In 1950,
the Vanderbilts divorced, and Louise married Ronald Bush Balcom (d. 1994), a champion skier who had previous attained celebrity when he became the third husband of
Standard Oil
Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...
heiress
Millicent Rogers
Mary Millicent Abigail Rogers (February 1, 1902 - January 1, 1953), better known as Millicent Rogers, was a socialite, heiress, fashion icon, jewelry designer and art collector. She was the granddaughter of Standard Oil tycoon Henry Huttleston R ...
.
Also in 1950, George Vanderbilt married Anita C. Zabala Howard at his
home
A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...
in South Carolina. She was a descendant of one of California's first
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
families and the former wife of California sportsman
Lindsay C. Howard
Lindsay Coleman Howard (March 31, 1904 – September 6, 1971) was an American sportsman.
Early life
Lindsay was born on March 31, 1904, in San Francisco, California. He was the son of Fannie May Howard and Charles S. Howard, a prominent businessm ...
. They divorced in 1958 after nearly 8 years o
marriage.
In 1958, he married for the third time to Joyce "Josh" Branning,
(1926–2016) daughter of Enid and Ralph Branning.
They later divorced and, in 1963, she married Edward L. Doheny III (d. 1999),
grandson of
Edward L. Doheny
Edward Laurence Doheny (; August 10, 1856 – September 8, 1935) was an American oil tycoon who, in 1892, drilled the first successful oil well in the Los Angeles City Oil Field. His success set off a petroleum boom in Southern California, a ...
.
On March 23, 1961, he married Louise Mitchell Paine in
Scottsdale, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Winfield Scott
, image_skyline =
, image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg
, image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg
, nick ...
.
She was a member of the Board of Directors of the
Children’s Cancer Fund of America and was the daughter of Harold E. Mitchell and had previously been married to Edward Bragg Paine (d. 1951). Edward's widow later married
Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton
Wing Commander Lord Malcolm Avondale Douglas-Hamilton, (12 November 1909 – 21 July 1964) was a Scottish aristocrat, aviator and politician.
Marriage and family
Douglas-Hamilton was third son of Alfred Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton, ...
. They were only married for three months as Vanderbilt died in June 1961.
Residences
In 1935, he purchased the Charles W. Sloane estate on
Middle Neck Road in
Sands Point on the
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...
, shortly after his first marriage.
In 1937, he had commissioned a home by society architects
Treanor & Fatio on the property. He sold the home to Henry Lustig, founder of the
Longchamps chain of restaurants, in 1945.
In 1946, he purchased in
Siskiyou County
Siskiyou County (, ) is a county in the northernmost part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,076. Its county seat is Yreka and its highest point is Mount Shasta. It falls within the Cascadia bioregion ...
near
Lake Shastina and the
Shasta–Trinity National Forest
The Shasta–Trinity National Forests are federally designated forests in northern California, United States. Combined, they are the largest National Forest in California and are managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The 2,210,485 acre (894,552 ...
in
northern California
Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...
.
In 1949, he built a large ranch house known as "Shadow Valley Ranch", along with a guest cottage, carriage house, tennis court, riding trails, waterfalls and several barns.
The home was host to many important people of the times, including overnight guests
Harry Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
,
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
,
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...
,
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...
,
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...
,
Alan Ladd and
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...
.
The house was sold by his widow in 1990
and burned down in 2012.
He also lived in
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...
for 25 years and owned the
Arcadia Plantation in
Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, South Carolina, Georgetown County, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census ...
,
which had been purchased by his grandfather, Dr. Emerson, in 1906.
His former yacht, the ''Pioneer'', is now the ''Yankee Clipper'', which sails with passengers in the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
for Windjammer Barefoot Cruises.
Death
On June 24, 1961, George Washington Vanderbilt apparently committed suicide by leaping from his 10th floor suite at the
Mark Hopkins Hotel
The InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco is a luxury hotel located at the top of Nob Hill in San Francisco, California. The hotel is managed by the InterContinental Hotels Group. The chain operates over 5,000 hotels and resorts in approxim ...
in
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
.
His wife said he was despondent over unspecified business setbacks.
Investigators found large amounts of
alcohol
Alcohol most commonly refers to:
* Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom
* Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks
Alcohol may also refer to:
Chemicals
* Ethanol, one of sev ...
in his
blood
Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the c ...
stream.
References
Notes
Sources
Curiosity served: Biltmore opens servants' quarters Tim Whitmire,
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
via ''
The San Diego Union-Tribune
''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868.
Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...
'', December 25, 2005.
Antiques of the Biltmore Estateat go-star.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanderbilt, George Washington 03
1914 births
1961 suicides
Alcohol-related deaths in California
American people of Dutch descent
Suicides by jumping in California
St. Paul's School (New Hampshire) alumni
George Washington III