Richard Thornton Wilson Jr. (September 11, 1866 – December 29, 1929) was an American investment banker and capitalist who was a prominent figure in thoroughbred

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

in the early decades of the 20th century.

Early life

Wilson was born in New York City, one of five surviving children of Richard Thornton Wilson Sr. (1829–1910) and Melissa Clementine Johnston (1831–1908). Born in Georgia, his father was a multimillionaire railroad owner and investment banker in New York City who served as the commissary general of the Confederate States of America. Wilson attended private schools and graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in 1887. While at Columbia, he joined the Fraternity of Delta Psi (

St. Anthony Hall St. Anthony Hall or the Fraternity of Delta Psi is an American fraternity and literary society. Its first chapter was founded at Columbia University on , the Calendar of saints, feast day of Anthony the Great, Saint Anthony the Great. The frater ...

Career

Wilson joined R. T. Wilson & Co, a cotton trading and investment firm founded by his father in New York City after the Civil War. He eventually succeeded his father as head of company.

Thoroughbred racing

In 1896, Richard Wilson Jr. and Harry Payne Whitney teamed up with a group of investors to purchase the Saratoga Race Course, which had fallen into the hands of an undesirable New Jersey

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keeper, Gottfried Waldbaum. Wilson served as president of the Saratoga Racing Association for the Improvement of the Breed of Horses, which operated the facility. Wilson is credited with enlarging the facility and improving its appearance. He also welcomed women horse owners, creating the Lady-Owners Handicap. In addition, Wilson oversaw Belmont Park as a director of the Westchester Racing Association. He was also a steward in the Jockey Club. In 1896, Wilson hired

Thomas J. Healey Thomas J. Healey (born September 14, 1942) is an American businessman and educator. He was a partner at Goldman, Sachs & Co., and is Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He served in the 1980s as Assista ...

to manage his racing stable. For three decades, they would win a number of the most important

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races, including the Travers Stakes three times, the Preakness Stakes, and the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

. In 1916, he bought Kirklevington Nursery in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...

, which contained over 500 acres of bluegrass land and was considered "one of the most up-to-date nurseries in the district." Among Wilson's successful racehorses were: *

The Parader The Parader (1898 – August 1902) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1901 Preakness Stakes and finishing second in the Belmont Stakes. Background The Parader was a bay horse bred by the Belle Meade Stud of ...

– 1901 Preakness Stakes, 1901 Withers Stakes, 1901 Lawrence Realization Handicap *

Olambala Olambala (1906–1935) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Olambala was bred in Tennessee by John G. Greener. He was sired by the British-born sire Ornus, a son of Bend Or, a two-time leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Irel ...

– 1909

Latonia Derby The Latonia Derby was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1883 through 1937 at Latonia Race Track in Latonia, Kentucky. Open to three-year-old horses, for its first 52 years the Latonia Derby was contested at a mile and a half t ...

, 1910

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Handicap, and 1910

Suburban Handicap The Suburban Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is now run at the mile distance on dirt for a $700,000 purse. Named after the City and Su ...

* Campfire – United States leading money winner in 1916 and American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt *

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– 1918 Saratoga Special Stakes and 1918 Travers Stakes *

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– 1922 Preakness and 1922

. * Wilderness – 1923 Travers Stakes, 1923

Toronto Cup Handicap The Toronto Cup Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually on turf at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. Run in early July, the race is open to three-year-olds and is run over a distance of miles (9 furlongs) on turf. Inaugurated ...

, and 1925 Shenandoah *

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– 1928 Ohio Derby and the 1928 & 1929

Personal life

On March 11, 1902, Wilson married Marion Steedman Mason (1875–1947) of Boston, daughter of Louisa Blake Steedman and Dr. Amos Lawrence Mason, a cousin of

Bishop of Massachusetts The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. History Massachusetts was founded by Puritans who did not accept such aspects of the Church of England as bish ...

William Lawrence. Marion's grandparents included

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Charles Steedman of

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

, captain of the USS ''Ticonderoga'', and Rev. Charles Mason who was the son of the U.S. Senator from New Hampshire, Jeremiah Mason. Together, they had two daughters: Louisa Steedman Wilson (1904–1974) and Marion Mason Wilson (1906–1982). Their main home include 300 Park Avenue in New York City; with summer homes "Shady Lawn" in Newport, Rhode Island; and "Indian House" in

Middletown, Rhode Island Middletown is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,075 at the 2020 census. It lies to the south of Portsmouth and to the north of Newport on Aquidneck Island, hence the name "Middletown". History Vari ...

. In 1902, Wilson purchased an 18,000 hunting estate at Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina where he raised livestock and champion horses, hunted, road, and farmed. So his wife would also enjoy winters in South, he built a four-story mansion there in 1916. The mansion had a gold-gilded ballroom and a vast library. The home burned on March 2, 1926, and the property was sold shortly afterwards. Because of Wilson's and his siblings' advantageous marriages, the Wilsons were known in New York and Newport society as the "marrying Wilsons." His sister

Grace Graham Wilson Grace Graham Vanderbilt ( Wilson; September 3, 1870 – January 7, 1953) was an American socialite. She was the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt III. She was one of the last Vanderbilts to live the luxurious life of the "head of society" that her pre ...

married Cornelius "Neily" Vanderbilt III. His older brother, Marshall Orme Wilson, married Caroline Schermerhorn "Carrie" Astor. His sister Belle married the Sir

Michael Henry Herbert Sir Michael Henry Herbert, (25 June 1857 – 30 September 1903), was a British diplomat and ambassador. Early life Sir Michael Herbert was the fourth and youngest son of distinguished parents: Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea, the Briti ...

, the British Ambassador to the United States and the brother of the Earl of Pembroke. His sister Mary Wilson married New York real estate heir

Ogden Goelet Ogden Goelet (June 11, 1851 New York City – August 27, 1897 Cowes, Isle of Wight) was an American heir, businessman and yachtsman from New York City during the Gilded Age. With his wife, he built Ochre Court in Newport, Rhode Island, his son ...

. Wilson was a member of many prominent social clubs, including

The Brook The Brook is a private club located at 111 East 54th Street in Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1903 by a group of prominent men who belonged to other New York City private clubs, such as the Knickerbocker Club and the Union Club. ...

, the Knickerbocker Club, and the Union Club of the City of New York. His sports clubs included the Racquet and Tennis Club, the South Side Sportsmen's Club, and the Turf & Field Club at the

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

He was also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. After an illness lasting several months, Wilson died of pneumonia at his home in New York City on December 29, 1929, at the age of 63. Wilson's funeral service at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in New York on January 1, 1930, was attended by more than 1,000 people. His Delta Psi fraternity brothers conducted a special ceremony at the funeral. He was interred in the family mausoleum at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx. His estate was estimated at $10,000,000 at his death.

Early life

Career

Thoroughbred racing

Personal life

Notes

References

Further reading