Hugh Dudley Auchincloss Jr. (August 15, 1897 – November 20, 1976) was an American stockbroker and lawyer who became the second husband of Nina S. Gore, mother of

Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his epigrammatic wit, erudition, and patrician manner. Vidal was bisexual, and in his novels and es ...

, and also the second husband of

Janet Lee Bouvier Janet Norton Lee Auchincloss, previously Bouvier, (December 3, 1907 – July 22, 1989) was an American socialite. She was the mother of the former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and Lee Radziwill. Early life Janet Norton Lee was born on Decembe ...

, the mother of First Lady

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A po ...

(wife of President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

) and Caroline Lee Bouvier.

Early life

Auchincloss was born at

Hammersmith Farm Hammersmith Farm is a Victorian mansion and estate located at 225 Harrison Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was the childhood home of First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, and the site of the reception for her wedding to U.S. Se ...

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, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Y ...

in 1897. He was the son of Hugh Dudley Auchincloss (1858–1913), a merchant and financier, and Emma Brewster Jennings. His maternal grandparents were

Oliver Burr Jennings Oliver Burr Jennings (June 3, 1825 – February 12, 1893) was an American businessman and one of the original stockholders in Standard Oil. Early life Jennings was born in 1825 in Fairfield, Connecticut, to Abraham Gould Jennings and Anna (née ...

and Esther Judson Goodsell. His uncles included Edgar Stirling Auchincloss, the father of U.S. Representative

James C. Auchincloss James Coats Auchincloss (January 19, 1885 – October 2, 1976) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician who represented northern coastal region of New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives from 1943–196 ...

, and John Winthrop Auchincloss, the grandfather of

Louis Auchincloss Louis Stanton Auchincloss (; September 27, 1917 – January 26, 2010)Holcomb B. Noble and Charles McGrath''The New York Times''. Retrieved on January 27, 2010. was an American lawyer, novelist, historian, and essayist. He is best known as a novel ...

, an attorney and author. He had two older sisters, Esther Judson Auchincloss and Ann Burr Auchincloss. Auchincloss graduated from

Groton School Groton School (founded as Groton School for Boys) is a private college-preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts. Ranked as one of the top five boarding high schools in the United States in Niche (2021–2022), it is affiliated ...

in Massachusetts and then 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 worl ...

in 1920, where he was elected to the Elihu Senior Society. He earned a law degree from Columbia University in 1924.

Career

From 1924 to 1926, Auchincloss practiced law in New York City, before joining the

Commerce Department The United States Department of Commerce is an executive department of the U.S. federal government concerned with creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. Among its tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for busi ...

as a special agent in aeronautics. In 1927, he was appointed an aviation expert in the

State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nat ...

. Four years later in 1931, he resigned government service to form a brokerage firm. In 1931, he bought his seat on the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed co ...

for $235,000 (). It was reported that he used some of the large inheritance received from his mother to found the

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

brokerage firm A broker is a person or firm who arranges transactions between a buyer and a seller for a commission when the deal is executed. A broker who also acts as a seller or as a buyer becomes a principal party to the deal. Neither role should be conf ...

of "Auchincloss, Parker & Redpath" with Chauncey B. Parker and Albert G. Redpath. The firm eventually had 16 offices with two in New York City and the rest spread along the East Coast. In 1970, the firm merged with Thomson & McKinnon, a brokerage house based in New York. At the time of the merger, the new firm, known as Thomson & McKinnon Auchincloss, had assets of $160 million () and 58 offices. By the time of his Auchincloss' death in 1976, the firm was known as Thomson & McKinnon Auchincloss Kohlmeyer. 3044 O Street, N

During World War II Auchincloss worked for the

Office of Naval Intelligence The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) is the military intelligence agency of the United States Navy. Established in 1882 primarily to advance the Navy's modernization efforts, it is the oldest member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and serve ...

and the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence {{u ...

and was commissioned with the rank of Lieutenant in the Naval Reserve on May 26, 1942, serving in the

United States 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 of ...

during World War II.

Personal life

Auchincloss was married three times and had five children. His first marriage was on June 4, 1925 to Maya de Chrapovitsky (1899–1990), a Russian noblewoman. Before their divorce in 1932, they had one child together: * Hugh Dudley "Yusha" Auchincloss III (1927–2015) In 1935, he married Nina S. Vidal, the only daughter of Senator

Thomas Gore Thomas Pryor Gore (December 10, 1870March 16, 1949) was an American politician who served as one of the first two United States senators from Oklahoma, from 1907 to 1921 and again from 1931 to 1937. He first entered politics as an activist for t ...

. Nina had previously been married to Eugene Vidal, a Roosevelt appointee, and with him had

, the author. Before their divorce in 1941, they had two children: *

Nina Gore Auchincloss Nina Gore Auchincloss Straight (formerly Steers, born January 10, 1937) is an American author, journalist, and socialite. She is the mother of writer/director Burr Steers and artist Hugh Auchincloss Steers, half-sister of Gore Vidal, step-sister o ...

(born 1937) * Thomas Gore Auchincloss (born 1939) On June 21, 1942, he married for the third and final time to

, mother of

and

Lee Radziwill Caroline Lee Bouvier ( ), later Canfield, Radziwiłł (), and Ross (March 3, 1933 – February 15, 2019), usually known as Princess Lee Radziwill, was an American socialite, public-relations executive, and interior decorator. She was the y ...

. They remained married until his death in 1976 and had two children together: *

Janet Jennings Auchincloss Janet Jennings Auchincloss Rutherfurd (June 13, 1945 – March 13, 1985) was an American socialite. She was the half sister of the former First Lady of the United States, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and socialite Lee Radziwill. Early life Auchin ...

(1945–1985) * James Lee Auchincloss (born 1947) Auchincloss was responsible for getting Jacqueline Bouvier her first job in journalism at the ''

Washington Times-Herald The ''Washington Times-Herald'' (1939–1954) was an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It was created by Eleanor "Cissy" Patterson of the Medill–McCormick–Patterson family (long-time owners of the '' Chicago Tribune'' ...

''. He gave her away at her wedding to future president

, the reception of which was held at

on September 12, 1953. A long-time financial contributor to the Republican Party, he contributed to the campaign of his Democratic stepson-in-law, saying "I want to live in harmony with Mrs. Auchincloss and all the other members of the family." Auchincloss died at his home in Georgetown on November 20, 1976 and was later buried at Island Cemetery in Newport.

Club memberships

Auchincloss was a member of the University Club, the

New York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...

Grolier Club The Grolier Club is a private club and society of bibliophiles in New York City. Founded in January 1884, it is the oldest existing bibliophilic club in North America. The club is named after Jean Grolier de Servières, Viscount d'Aguisy, Tr ...

and

Racquet and Tennis Club The Racquet and Tennis Club, familiarly known as the R&T, is a private social and athletic club at 370 Park Avenue, between East 52nd and 53rd Streets in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. History The Racquet Court Club opened in 1876 at 55 We ...

of New York. In Washington, he was a member of the Burning Tree Club and the

Metropolitan Club The Metropolitan Club of New York is a private social club on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded as a gentlemen's club in 1891 for men only, but it was one of the first major clubs in New York to admit women, t ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Auchincloss, Hugh D. 1897 births 1976 deaths 20th-century American lawyers United States Navy personnel of World War I United States Navy personnel of World War II American stockbrokers Auchincloss family Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) Columbia Law School alumni Military personnel from Rhode Island People from Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) People of the Office of Naval Intelligence Rhode Island lawyers Rhode Island Republicans United States Navy officers Washington, D.C., Republicans Yale University alumni United States Navy reservists Burials at Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery