Mary Astor Paul Munn Allez (March 26, 1889 – July 28, 1950) was a Philadelphia socialite who was related to the

Astor Astor may refer to: People * Astor (surname) * Astor family, a wealthy 18th-century American family who became prominent in 20th-century British politics * Astor Bennett, a character in the Showtime television series ''Dexter'' * Ástor Piazzol ...

and Drexel families. During World War II, she helped the American forces in France.

Early life

Mary was born on March 26, 1889, and raised in

Radnor, Pennsylvania Radnor is a community located approximately 13 miles west of Philadelphia, in the Main Line suburbs. It straddles Montgomery and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania. The community was named after Radnor, in Wales. Radnor is home to Cabrini Universi ...

. She was the daughter of James William Paul Jr. (1851–1908) and Frances Katherine "Fanny" (

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 ...

Drexel) Paul (1858–1901). Her siblings were Ellen Drexel (née Paul) Mills and Anthony Joseph Drexel Paul. Her father was a banker affiliated with the Drexel interests in Philadelphia and the Morgan interests in New York. Her paternal grandparents were James William Paul and Hannah Clement (née Bunker) Paul. Her aunt, Mary Dahlgren Paul, was married to

William Waldorf Astor William Waldorf "Willy" Astor, 1st Viscount Astor (31 March 1848 – 18 October 1919) was an American-British attorney, politician, businessman (hotels and newspapers), and philanthropist. Astor was a scion of the very wealthy Astor family of ...

(who moved to England and became the 1st

Viscount Astor Viscount Astor, of Hever Castle in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1917 for the financier and statesman William Waldorf Astor, 1st Baron Astor. He had already been created Baron Astor, of ...

). Her cousins included

Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor, DL (19 May 1879 – 30 September 1952) was an American-born English politician and newspaper proprietor. He was a member of the Astor family. He was active in minor political roles. He was devoted to charitab ...

(husband of

Nancy Astor Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor, Viscountess Astor, (19 May 1879 – 2 May 1964) was an American-born British politician who was the first woman seated as a Member of Parliament (MP), serving from 1919 to 1945. Astor's first husband was America ...

, the first woman to take her seat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

), Hon. Pauline Astor (wife of politician

Herbert Spender-Clay Herbert Henry Spender-Clay, PC CMG DL JP (4 June 1875 – 15 February 1937) was an English soldier and Conservative Party politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1910 to 1937. Early life Herbert Henry Spender-Clay was born on 4 June ...

), and

John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever Lieutenant-Colonel John Jacob Astor V, 1st Baron Astor of Hever, DL (20 May 1886 – 19 July 1971) was an American-born English newspaper proprietor, politician, sportsman, military officer, and a member of the Astor family. Biography Astor wa ...

. Her maternal grandparents were

Anthony Joseph Drexel Anthony Joseph Drexel Sr. (September 13, 1826 – June 30, 1893) was an American banker who played a major role in the rise of modern global finance after the American Civil War. As the dominant partner of Drexel & Co. of Philadelphia, he founde ...

and Ellen (née Rozet) Drexel. Among her large extended family was uncle

Anthony Joseph Drexel Jr. Anthony Joseph Drexel Jr. (September 9, 1864 – December 14, 1934) was an American banker and philanthropist who was a close friend of King Edward VII. Early life Drexel was born on September 9, 1864, in Philadelphia to Anthony Joseph Drexel ( ...

and cousins

Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr. Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr. (October 1, 1874 – May 27, 1948) was a millionaire whose fortune allowed him to pursue theatricals, self-published writing, athletics, and Christianity on a full-time basis. He was the man upon whom the book ''M ...

and Margaretta Armstrong Drexel (wife of

Guy Finch-Hatton, 14th Earl of Winchilsea Guy Montagu George Finch-Hatton, 14th Earl of Winchilsea and 9th Earl of Nottingham OBE DSC (28 May 1885 – 10 February 1939) was an English peer and banker. Finch-Hatton was brother to renowned big-game hunter Denys Finch Hatton and his daught ...

Personal life

She was presented to society in 1907 and on October 28, 1908, her engagement to Charles Alexander Munn Jr. was announced. Then a student at

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, Munn was a son of Charles Alexander Munn and Carrie Louise (née Gurnee) Munn. They were married on June 21, 1909, at St. Martin Episcopal Church in

. Many members of society were present, including the Drexel and Roosevelt families. After their marriage, the couple lived at Woodcrest, their residence in Radnor, until they sold it in 1925. After the sale, the couple sailed to France, intending on living there for a decade. However, Mary filed for divorce in 1930, citing abandonment. Before their divorce, they had four children together, three daughters and a son, including: * Pauline Munn (1909–1939), who married

Milton Dorland Doyle Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Fre ...

of New York, in

Cap Ferrat Cap Ferrat (; en, Cape Ferrat) is a cape situated in the Alpes-Maritimes department in Southeastern France. It is located in the commune of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Hospitius lived there as a recluse during the 6th century. Thus, the cape is ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

in 1931. The marriage was a tumultuous one, and after twice filing and then dismissing divorce charges, they divorced in 1938. She died in France the following year. * Charles Alexander Munn (1913–1957), who served with the

United States Naval Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Sele ...

, rising to the rank of lieutenant in 1941. At that time, he married

Louise Stanley Louise Stanley (born Louise Keyes; January 28, 1915 – December 28, 1982), was an American actress. Early years Born in Springfield, Illinois, Keyes was the daughter of Alvin Keyes, who was assistant director of the Illinois State Depa ...

, the actress, in New York City. He later married Loretta Strauff in 1950. * Mary Munn (1915–2013), a still life painter who married Frederick Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon at the

American Cathedral in Paris The American Cathedral in Paris (french: Cathédrale Américaine de Paris), formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, is one of the oldest English-speaking churches in Paris. It is the gathering church for the Convocation of Epi ...

. Lord Dunacannon succeeded as the 10th

Earl of Bessborough Earl of Bessborough is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1739 for Brabazon Ponsonby, 2nd Viscount Duncannon, who had previously represented Newtownards and County Kildare in the Irish House of Commons. In 1749, he was given ...

in 1956 and she became the Countess of Bessborough. * Frances Drexel Munn (1917–2012), who married George F. Baker (1915–1977), son of banker

George Fisher Baker George Fisher Baker (March 27, 1840 – May 2, 1931) was an American financier and philanthropist. Known as the "Dean of American Banking", he was also known for his taciturnity. Baker made a fortune after the Civil War in railroads and banking, ...

, in New York City in 1938. They divorced in 1958; he later committed suicide in 1977. In 1917, she was drawn by

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and more ...

and, in 1929, she was painted by

Philip de László Philip Alexius László de Lombos (born Fülöp Laub; hu, Fülöp Elek László; 30 April 1869 – 22 November 1937), known professionally as Philip de László, was an Anglo-Hungarian painter known particularly for his portraits of royal an ...

. After their divorce, she remarried to Jacquez Eami Adrien Allez (1894–1963) in 1934. In 1953, her first husband remarried to Dorothy Spreckels (daughter of Sugar tycoon

Adolph B. Spreckels Adolph Bernard Spreckels (January 5, 1857 – June 28, 1924) was a California businessman who ran Spreckels Sugar Company and who donated the California Palace of the Legion of Honor art museum to the city of San Francisco in 1924. His wife Alma ...

and his wife,

Alma de Bretteville Spreckels Alma de Bretteville Spreckels (March 24, 1881 – August 7, 1968) was a wealthy socialite and philanthropist in San Francisco, California. She was known both as "Big Alma" (she was tall) and "The Great Grandmother of San Francisco". Among her ma ...

). She died in Paris on July 28, 1950, and was buried at cemetery in Mortefontaine.

World War II involvement

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, she served the United States Military in a large role. She served as president of the American Aid Society in Paris. During the French resistance movement, she helped contact the American forces under the code name "Pauline." Speaking of her service, Mme. Allez said that her contacts were throughout France, and consisted of people from all walks of life and occupations. She was also in personal contact throughout the war with the American Legation in

Berne, Switzerland Bern () or Berne; in other Swiss languages, gsw, Bärn ; frp, Bèrna ; it, Berna ; rm, Berna is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city" (in german: Bundesstadt, link=no, french: ville fédérale ...

, and

Robert Murphy Robert, Rob, Bob or Bobby Murphy may refer to: Sports Ice hockey *Robert Ronald Murphy or Ron Murphy (1933–2014), Canadian ice hockey player * Bob Murphy (ice hockey) (born 1951), Canadian retired professional ice hockey player * Rob Murphy (ice ...

, the United States Consul. The President of the United States,

Harry S. 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 ...

, awarded Mme. Allez the American

Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merito ...

for her service. At the same time, French President

Vincent Auriol Vincent Jules Auriol (; 27 August 1884 – 1 January 1966) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1947 to 1954. Early life and politics Auriol was born in Revel, Haute-Garonne, as the only child of Jacques Antoine Aurio ...

made her a chevalier of the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

References

External links

Portrait of Mary Astor Paul Allez
by

, 1929, at

Drexel University Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul, Mary Astor 1889 births 1950 deaths Drexel family People from Radnor Township, Pennsylvania Knights of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Medal of Freedom American socialites