Lorillard Suydam Spencer Sr. (July 4, 1883 - June 9, 1939) was president of

Atlantic Aircraft Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, also known as Fokker-America and Atlantic-Fokker, was a US subsidiary of the Dutch Fokker company, responsible for sales and information about Fokker imports, and eventually constructing various Fokker designs."The ...

and was prominent in Newport, Rhode Island society. He served as the military secretary to

Charles Seymour Whitman Charles Seymour Whitman (September 29, 1868March 29, 1947) was an American lawyer who served as the 41st Governor of New York from January 1, 1915, to December 31, 1918. An attorney and politician, he also served as a delegate from New York to t ...

, the New York Governor.

Biography

He was born on July 4, 1883, in

Manhattan, New York City Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

to Lorillard Spencer and Caroline Suydam Berryman, a granddaughter of

Stephen Whitney Stephen Whitney (September 4, 1776 – February 16, 1860) was an American merchant. He was one of the wealthiest merchants in New York City in the first half of the 19th century. His fortune was considered second only to that of John Jacob Ast ...

of New York. Caroline would later become a missionary in the Philippines. On December 16, 1910, he was elected as the temporary chairman of the New York City Council of the Boy Scouts of America. During World War I, he was the commander of the 3rd Battalion of the African American 15th New York Infantry which was inducted into Federal service as the

369th Infantry Regiment The 369th Infantry Regiment, originally formed as the 15th New York National Guard Regiment before being re-organized as the 369th upon federalization and commonly referred to as the Harlem Hellfighters, was an infantry regiment of the New ...

(nicknamed "The Harlem Hellfighters"). In September 1918, during the Battle of Champagne-Argonne, he was stuck six times by German machine gun fire. Severely wounded, he was sent home to recover. For his bravery, he was awarded the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) *Distinguished Service Cross (U ...

, the

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

and the Legion of Honour. The latter was presented to him in July 1919 by Ambassador Jean Jules Jusserand. When the men of the 3rd Battalion returned home after the war, he was there to greet them, his fractured leg still in a sling. He became president of the Witteman Aircraft Corporation in 1921 and the Atlantic Aircraft Corporation in 1923. He died on June 10, 1939, at his cottage, Chasteullux, in Newport, Rhode Island.

Personal life

He married his first wife, Mary Ridgeley Sands, on September 19, 1905, at Trinity Church in

. They divorced in March 1922. They had one son together, Lorillard Suydam Spencer Jr., on June 11, 1906. He married

Katherine Emmons Force Katherine Emmons Force Spencer (March 12, 1891 – September 8, 1956) was an American real estate investor and socialite. She was a member of the zoning board for Newport, Rhode Island. Early life Katherine Emmons Force was born on March 12, 189 ...

on December 6, 1922. They had two sons, Stephen Wolcott Spencer on April 22, 1925, and William Hurlbut Force Spencer on June 13, 1927.

Legacy

The earliest Filipino Boy Scout troop recorded in history was named after him due to the monetary support provided by his mother, who was an American charity worker in

Sulu Sulu (), officially the Province of Sulu (Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Wilāya sin Lupa' Sūg''; tl, Lalawigan ng Sulu), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines in the Sulu Archipelago and part of the Bangsamoro, Bangsamor ...

, Philippines. The Lorillard Spencer Trophy serves as the perpetual award to a local Boy Scout council in the Philippines obtaining the highest record of advancement and membership for the year. The trophy is inscribed as "The Lorillard Spencer Trophy Presented by His Mother in Loving Memory of a Loyal Scouter".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Lorillard 1883 births 1939 deaths Businesspeople from New York City Boy Scouts of America Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Honour American military personnel of World War I 369th Infantry Regiment personnel 20th-century American businesspeople United States Army personnel of World War I Spencer family of New York