Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt (1901 - August 6, 1978) was an American socialite and philanthropist. She was one of the first women to compete in the

America's Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one f ...

alongside her husband, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, in 1934 and 1937.

Early life

Gertrude Conaway was born in 1901 in Philadelphia. Her father, John L. Conaway, was "a famous horseman," however he died when she was 10. Her stepfather,

W. Barklie Henry William Barklie Henry (December 5, 1867 – December 24, 1930) was an American stockbroker and yachtsman. He became a millionaire as the co-founder of Henry & West, later known as West & Company, a brokerage firm in Philadelphia. Described as "on ...

, was a banker and yachtsman. Conaway grew up in Philadelphia, where she acted in amateur theatre.

Yachting and philanthropy

Vanderbilt was one of the first women allowed to compete in the

. She was allowed aboard her husband's yachts during the

1934 America's Cup The 1934 America's Cup was the 15th challenge for the Cup. It took place in Newport and consisted of a series of races between the defender ''Rainbow'', entered by a syndicate of New York Yacht Club members headed by Harold S. Vanderbilt, and ...

and the

1937 America's Cup Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Feb ...

. Vanderbilt served on the board of trust of Vanderbilt University, a private university in Nashville, Tennessee, as an honorary trustee. She endowed scholarships in the English department. Vanderbilt bequeathed $1 million to the

Newport Hospital Newport Hospital is a private, nonprofit hospital located in Newport, Rhode Island. Together with The Miriam Hospital and Rhode Island Hospital, Newport Hospital is a member of the Lifespan health system. History Newport Hospital was founded in ...

, $1 million to the JFK Medical Center in

Atlantis, Florida Atlantis is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 2,142. Geography Atlantis is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of whic ...

, $200,000 to the Shenandoah County Memorial Hospital in Woodstock, Virginia, and $100,000 to the NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital. She also donated $1.25 million to the Preservation Society of Newport County, an organization to protect the architectural heritage of Newport County, Rhode Island.

Personal life and death

Conaway married Harold Stirling Vanderbilt on August 20, 1933 in New York City; he was 17 years older than she. They never had children. They resided in New York City and at Eastover, a property in Manalapan, Florida near Palm Beach designed by architect Maurice Fatio. They summered at Rock Cliff, an estate in Newport, Rhode Island that they purchased in 1961. When her husband died in 1970, Vanderbilt inherited over $1 million as well as $15 million in trust funds. Vanderbilt died on August 8, 1978 in Newport, Rhode Island. Her funeral was held at Trinity Church, and she was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanderbilt, Gertrude Conaway 20th-century American philanthropists 1901 births 1978 deaths American socialites People from New York City People from Newport, Rhode Island People from Palm Beach County, Florida People from Philadelphia Philanthropists from New York (state) Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt University people