Arthur Addison Seeligson Jr. (October 29, 1920 - April 17, 2001) was an American oilman, rancher, and a Thoroughbred

racehorse 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 pr ...

owner/breeder.

Family

Seeligson was born in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Ramona (née Frates) and Arthur Addison Seeligson Sr. His paternal great-grandfather, Henry Seeligson, was a Jewish Confederate soldier whose father served as mayor of Galveston, Texas. Through his great-grandfather, Seeligson was a relative of composer

Louis Moreau Gottschalk Louis Moreau Gottschalk (May 8, 1829 – December 18, 1869) was an American composer and pianist, best known as a virtuoso performer of his own romantic piano works. He spent most of his working career outside the United States. Life and car ...

. Arthur Seeligson's brother, Frates Slick Seeligson (1923-2006), was a rancher and a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1953 to 1960. His first cousin, once removed, Lamar Smith has been a Republican Congressman from Texas since 1987.

Early life

Arthur Seeligson was raised a Protestant. His family moved to

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

when he was still a boy. After studying at

Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...

in Exeter, New Hampshire and then graduating from Yale University in 1942, Arthur Seeligson Jr. followed in his fathers footsteps as a successful investor in the oil and gas industry in Kansas. Seeligson returned to live in San Antonio and it was his home at the time of his death in 2001.

Thoroughbred horse racing

Arthur Seeligson was involved in Thoroughbred horse racing for more than forty years. He had

stakes race Glossary of North American horse racing: Additional glossaries at: *Glossary of Australian and New Zealand punting *Glossary of equestrian terms This is a basic glossary of equestrian terms that includes both technical terminology and jargon ...

winners both in the United States and in Europe. He most notably bred and raced Avatar, winner of the 1975 Santa Anita Derby and the American Classic, 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 ...

. For a time, Arthur Seeligson was a co-owner of the now defunct Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida. He was a member of the

board of directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

of the

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Av ...

in Saratoga Springs, New York. Seeligson's daughter, Ramona Seeligson Bass, was a driving force behind the creation of '' Texas Wild!'' at the

Fort Worth Zoo The Fort Worth Zoo is a zoo in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, that was founded in 1909 with one lion, two bear cubs, an alligator, a coyote, a peacock and a few rabbits. The zoo now is home to 7,000 native and exotic animals and has been named ...

. The Zoo's Arthur A. Seeligson Conservation Fund was established by his family and friends to benefit Texas wildlife.

References

External links

Resolution re Arthur A. Seeligson, Jr., at the Texas House of Representatives

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seeligson, Arthur A. 1920 births 2001 deaths Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Yale University alumni People in the petroleum industry American energy industry executives American racehorse owners and breeders Businesspeople from San Antonio