DOCSLIB.ORG

Widener Family Fortune

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Widener Family Fortune Widener Family Fortune The pictured mausoleum is now the residence of all the heirs to the original Widener Family fortune. In 2006 Eugene Fitzgerald Dixon, Jr. passed away and with him the direct descendants of the 27th richest American ever. The Widener family according to Scott Winslow is ranked above Bill Gates and Warren Buffett in the wealth department. Winslow looks at overall wealth as compared to the GNP. The Widener family's riches equaled 1/387th of the GNP at the time Peter A.B. Widener was alive. This measure in my opinion is the single best way to compare wealth over different generations and time periods. The top folks on this list are John D. Rockefeller by far along with Cornelius Vanderbilt. The Widener Family Patriarch Peter Arrell Brown Widener made his first business venture during the Civil War. He invested in providing meat to the Union Army during the way. This was a risky investment at the time because it was not clear if the Union Army would be able to pay its bills and sustain its economy if the south won and became its own country. As history would show the investment was a good one, the Union won the war and Peter Widener made a great the investment that would launch an empire that would span well into the 20th and 21st Century. Peter continued to invest his money in interesting and innovative business ventures. His most profitable turned out to be Philadelphia Traction Company which pioneered public transportation, and to this day makes royalties on patents it owns. The company invented the Trolley Car which launched the era of the big city. The company took on production and partnerships with Charles Yerkes, known as the Czar of Chicago. This partnership made the Widener Fortune one of the largest of the era. Peter continued to invest and take on other ventures. Those ventures included being the founding organizers of US Steel and The American Tobacco Company. One of the investments that cost Peter his oldest son and favorite grandson was his investment in the White Star Line. That is correct the British Shipping Company that built the RMS Titanic. Widener Family and Homestead Peter A.B. Widener built a beautiful 110-room mansion in Elkins Park, Montgomery County, PA known as Lynnewood Hall. The family had a few homes in the City of Philadelphia in the area known as Society Hill, but Peter and his family spent most of their time at Lynnewood. When Peter died in 1915 at Lynnewood he left a large family fortune in cash and assets. In 1912 Peter lost his oldest son George and Harry his grandson died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The estate was left primarily to Joseph Widener with trusts to go to George Widener, Jr., Peter Widener II, Gertrude Widener, Josephine Widener, Peter Widener III, Ella Anne Widener, and Eugene Fitzgerald Dixon, Jr. Joseph Widener continued to have the estate build wealth and became one of only 4 winners of the "Exemplar of Racing" award given by the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame. Joseph was one of the pioneers of American Thoroughbred racing. He was the investor that made Belmont Park in New York and Hialeah Park in Florida possible. They were the powerhouse race tracks of the day. He also was one of the early investors in Old Kentucky Farm now known as Green Gates Farm which helped create the culture that is Kentucky Thoroughbred racing. George Widener also loved horses like Joseph, and became the first president of the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame. Widener Art Collection Lynnewood Hall was not only a home, but it was also a place to display Peter AB Widener's vast art collection. The Widener Art Collection includes Rembrandt, Edouard Manet, and Auguste Renoir. George Widener was part of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, and it was rumored he was bringing back very valuable works along with him on the Titanic. Joseph Widener donated most of the family works of art to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The opening of the gallery was made possible by the Widener's Art Collection. Franklin Roosevelt dedicated the gallery in 1941, and their art collection was now shared with the world. The final living Widener heir Eugene Fitzgerald Dixon (post on him this week) also donated the famous Love Statue to the City of Philadelphia. Widener's Impact on American History Aside from all that is mentioned above the Widener family has a legacy that makes them one of the most amazing families in history. From the arts to education the Widener Family shared their fortune with the world around them. Members of the family served on the Fairmount Park Commission, Philadelphia Art Commission, and the Delaware River Port Authority. Founded or played a roll in the following centers for education: Widener University, Widener School for Crippled Children, New Bolton Center at Widener Hospital, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia College of Art, Lafayette College, Episcopal Academy, Harvard, and Temple University. They truly are among the best philanthropic American families of all time. http://suite101.com/widener-family-fortune-a305469.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Rembrandt Van Rijn
    Rembrandt van Rijn 1606-1669 REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN, born 15 July er (1608-1651), Govaert Flinck (1615-1660), and 1606 in Leiden, was the son of a miller, Harmen Ferdinand Bol (1616-1680), worked during these Gerritsz. van Rijn (1568-1630), and his wife years at Van Uylenburgh's studio under Rem­ Neeltgen van Zuytbrouck (1568-1640). The brandt's guidance. youngest son of at least ten children, Rembrandt In 1633 Rembrandt became engaged to Van was not expected to carry on his father's business. Uylenburgh's niece Saskia (1612-1642), daughter Since the family was prosperous enough, they sent of a wealthy and prominent Frisian family. They him to the Leiden Latin School, where he remained married the following year. In 1639, at the height of for seven years. In 1620 he enrolled briefly at the his success, Rembrandt purchased a large house on University of Leiden, perhaps to study theology. the Sint-Anthonisbreestraat in Amsterdam for a Orlers, Rembrandt's first biographer, related that considerable amount of money. To acquire the because "by nature he was moved toward the art of house, however, he had to borrow heavily, creating a painting and drawing," he left the university to study debt that would eventually figure in his financial the fundamentals of painting with the Leiden artist problems of the mid-1650s. Rembrandt and Saskia Jacob Isaacsz. van Swanenburgh (1571 -1638). After had four children, but only Titus, born in 1641, three years with this master, Rembrandt left in 1624 survived infancy. After a long illness Saskia died in for Amsterdam, where he studied for six months 1642, the very year Rembrandt painted The Night under Pieter Lastman (1583-1633), the most impor­ Watch (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam).
    [Show full text]
  • National Office Developer Receives Distinguished Performance Award
    FOCUS Dr. Lawrence Buck, Michael G. O'Neill and Dr. Eric Brucker National Office Developer Receives Distinguished Performance Award Michael G. 0 ' eill , chairman of Be creati ve. Be sure that yo u are U ni ve rsity and juris doctorate from Preferred Real Estate Inves tments passionate about your wo rk, and Temple U nive rsity School of Law. (PREI), Inc., received the most impo rtantly, be yo urself. " Facul ty awards presen ted at the ban­ Distingui hed Perfo rmance in The PhiladeltJhia Business J ournal quet included the Di stinguished Manageme nt wa rd at the School o f ranked 0 ' eill' company the sec­ Graduate Teaching Award to Kenn Business Administrati o n's annual o nd largest commercial real estate Tacchino, pro fessor of taxatio n; th e scholarship banque t. This award is William Zahka Di sLin guished developer in the Philadelphia me t­ give n each year to individuals who Professor Award to Pe ter Oe hl ers, ropolitan area. Foll owing PREI's have made a significant contribu­ senio r lecturer of accounting; the success with the redevelopme nt of ti on to the wo rld of busine s. Distinguished Adjunct Teaching the Consho hocke n rive rfro nt, the Awa rd to Lawrence Colfe r, acUunct In his speech at the banque t, Mr. company has embarked o n a plan to pro fessor of ma nageme nt; and, the O 'Neill advised Widener business revitali ze the wate rfront distri ct of J o hn C. Sevi er wa rd for Dedicati o n students in attendan ce to "make Chester with a property call ed the and Service to the School of your greatnes in solving all the Wharf at Ri ve rtown.
    [Show full text]
  • View Nomination
    NOMINATION OF HISTORIC BUILDING, STRUCTURE, SITE, OR OBJECT PHILADELPHIA REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PHILADELPHIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION SUBMIT ALL ATTACHED MATERIALS ON PAPER AND IN ELECTRONIC FORM (CD, EMAIL, FLASH DRIVE) ELECTRONIC FILES MUST BE WORD OR WORD COMPATIBLE 1. ADDRESS OF HISTORIC RESOURCE (must comply with an Office of Property Assessment address) Street address:__________________________________________________________3910 Chestnut St ________ Postal code:_______________19104 Councilmanic District:__________________________3 2. NAME OF HISTORIC RESOURCE Historic Name:__________________________________________________________James A. Connelly House ________ Current/Common Name:________Casa Vecchia___________________________________________ ________ 3. TYPE OF HISTORIC RESOURCE Building Structure Site Object 4. PROPERTY INFORMATION Occupancy: occupied vacant under construction unknown Current use:____________________________________________________________Office space ________ 5. BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION See attached. 6. DESCRIPTION See attached. 7. SIGNIFICANCE Please attach the Statement of Significance. Period of Significance (from year to year): from _________1806 to _________1987 Date(s) of construction and/or alteration:_____________________________________1866; reconstructed 1896 _________ Architect, engineer, and/or designer:________________________________________Horace Trumbauer, architect _________ Builder, contractor, and/or artisan:__________________________________________Doyle & Doak, contractors _________ Original
    [Show full text]
  • Widener University Not to Discriminate on the Basis of Sex
    Accredited by the Middle States Associati on of Colleges and Schools. It is the policy of Widener University not to discriminate on the basis of sex. handicap, race, age, color, religion, or national or ethnic origin in its educational programs, admissions policies, employment policies, financial aid, or other school-administered programs. This policy is enforced by federa l law under Title IX oft he Educational Amendments of 1972. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of /964, and Section 504 of the Relwbilitation Act of 1973 . Whi le correct at press time, all statements in thi s publication are subject to change without notice. Upon action of the governing body, facilities may be enlarged or otherwi se altered, courses added or deleted, and the curricula modified or expanded. Bulletin of Widener University Ser ies 1.22 • Number 6 • September 1983 (USPS #074940) Published six times a year by Widener University, once each in June. Jul y, August, and three times in September. Second class postage paid at Chester, PA 19013 . POSTMASTER: Send Fonn 3579 to: Bulletin of Widener Uni versit y, Widener Universi ty, Chester. PA 19013. ) J Bulletin of { Widener University I I 't I 1983-1984 FOR INFORMATION Widener University, Chester, PA 19013 UNIVERSITY POLICY Mr. Robert J. Bruce, President ACADEMIC POLICY Dr. Clifford T. Stewart, Provost Mr. Joseph A. Arbuckle, Assistant Provost fo r the Pennsylvania Campus Dr. Lawrence P. Buck, Dean, College of Art and Sciences Dr. Thoma G . McWill iams, Jr. , Dean, School of Engineering Dr. John T. Meli , Dean, School of Management Dr. Janette L.
    [Show full text]
  • \.\Aes Pennsylvania PA "It,- EL~PA S- ~
    LYNNEWOOD HALL HABS NO. PA-t314f3 920 Spring Avenue Elkins Park Montgomery County \.\Aes Pennsylvania PA "it,- EL~PA s- ~ PHOTOGRAPHS WRITTEN HISTORICAL A.ND DESCRIPTIVE Historic American Buildings Survey National Park Service Department of the Intericn:· p_Q_ Box 37l2'i7 Washington, D.C. 20013-7127 I HABs Yt,r-" ... ELk'.'.PA,I HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY $- LYNNEWOOD HALL HABS No. PA-6146 Location: 920 Spring Avenue, Elkins Park, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania. Significance: Lynnewood Hall, designed by famed Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer in 1898, survives as one of the finest country houses in the Philadelphia area. The 110-room mansion was built for street-car magnate P.A.B. Widener to house his growing family and art collection which would later become internationally renowned. 1 The vast scale and lavish interiors exemplify the remnants of an age when Philadelphia's self-made millionaire industrialists flourished and built their mansions in Cheltenham, apart from the Main Line's old society. Description: Lynnewood Hall is a two-story, seventeen-bay Classical Revival mansion that overlooks a terraced lawn to the south. The house is constructed of limestone and is raised one­ half story on a stone base that forms a terrace around the perimeter of the building. The mansion is a "T" plan with the front facade forming the cross arm of the "T". Enclosed semi­ circular loggias extend from the east and west ends of the cross arm and a three-story wing forms the leg of the 'T' to the north. The most imposing exterior feature is the full-height, five-bay Corinthian portico with a stone staircase and a monumental pediment.
    [Show full text]
  • Widener University
    Accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. It is the policy of Widener University not to discriminate on the basis of sex, handicap, race, age, color, religion , or national or ethnic origin in its educational programs, admissions policies, employment policies, financial aid, or other school-administered programs. This policy is enforced by federal law under Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 . While correct at press time, all statements in this publication are subject to change without notice. Upon action of the governing body, facilities may be enlarged or otherwise altered, courses added or deleted, and the curricula modified or expanded. Bulletin of Widener University Series 125 • Number 4 • September 1986 (USPS #074940) Published six times a year by Widener Uni ve rsit y, once each in June , July, Aug ust, and three times in September. Second class postage paid at Chester, PA 19013. POSTMASTER: Send Form 3579 to: Bulletin of Widener University, Widener Uni ve rsit y, Chester, PA 19013. Bulletin o1 Widener University 1986-1987 FOR INFORMATION Widener University, Chester, PA 19013 Unless otherwise noted, all of the officers listed below can be reached at (2 15 ) 499-4000. UNIVERSITY POLICY Mr. Robert J. Bruce, President ACADEMIC POLICY Dr. Lawrence P. Buck, Provost Mr. Steven P. Adams, Assistant Provost for the Penn ylvania Campus Dr. Annette Steigelfest, Acting Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Thomas G. McWilliams, Jr., Dean, School of Engineering Dr. John T.
    [Show full text]
  • Widener College May Obtain Information at the Telephone Exchange Located Inside the Front Entrance of Old Main (5)
    Widener Visitors to Widener College may obtain information at the telephone exchange located inside the front entrance of Old Main (5). Co\\eQe Campus tours and interviews are arranged in the Admissions Office located on the main CHESTE R • PE SYLVA \A • 19013 • 215-876-5551 floor of Old Main. Visitors are requested to u e the entrance to Old Main on 14th Street (opposite MacMorland Center) and to park on the marked spaces along the semi-circular driveway in front of Old Main. 10. Black Student Union 11 . Observatory The Center of Arts and Science, the Center of 12. Student park Management and Applied Economics and t~e 13. Webb Hall Evening Division are located 1n the Kapelskr 14. MacMorland Center (student union building) Learning Center (3). The vice-president and 15. Maintenance building academic dean 's office is in Kapelski. 16. Schwartz Physical Education Center Administrative offices including the president's, 17. Baseball diamond controller, office of student affairs, business office, 18. Soccer field admissions, registrar, development and alumnr are 19. Robert Levy Tennis Courts located in Old Main (5). Public relations is in the 20. Track & (ield area and practice field Alumni Auditorium (4) . Department of Military 21 . Stadium Science (ROTC) ground (/oor, Hanna Hall. Deans 22 . Armory ~ of Students are in Webb Hall (13). Parking Areas indicated by diagnal lines ~ GUIDE TO THE CAMPUS DORMITORIES A The Castle F Dorm 4 1. Wolfgram Memorial Library . 8 Turrell Hall G Hanna Hall 2. Kirkbride Hall of Science and Engrneerrng C Howell Hall H Dorm 6 3. Louis Kapelski Learning Center D Cann Memorial Hall K Spang Hall complex 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Widener Col'lege' It Is by BRUCE CRAWFORD Or Club Within What Will Soon Be and JERRY WARD Known As Widener College
    l~ VOL. 26 - NO. h: PMC COLLEGES, CHESTER, PA., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22,1972 TWENTY CENTS 'I{apelski Regiment' 8rings Opposition 'Widener Col'lege' It Is By BRUCE CRAWFORD or club within what will soon be and JERRY WARD known as Widener College. "We don't want to become a Boy Scout troop." On July 1, 1972, PMC Colleges Bruce Boehm puts it a different way: will become "Widener College." "At least before we were a college. So learned a gathering of mem­ 'Pennsylvania Military College' was bers of the "PMC Family" last Fri­ self-explanatory. " day at a convocation in MacMor­ Although cadets receive no spec­ land Center when President Clarence ial privileges upon graduation over Moll, after an introductory speech, ROTC students, Bruce Boehm feels turned to a duo of coeds who peel­ there was a sort of mystique about ed a cover off the dining hall wall re­ being a cadet at PMC. Several cadets vealing a blue and white. banner were asked if there was virtually proclaiming "Widener College." With- unanimous dissatisfaction with the . that, a respectable amount of ap­ exigencies of the cadet lifestyle. All plause was generated by the audi­ of them said yes. There was also ence. agreement with Shawn Pulford that, Announcement of another name "it would be better to have an ROTC change, however, was not quite as unit." well received - the dropping of Photo by MIKE VLAM Rumors that the use of the Wid­ The revealing of the new name by a pair of coeds. "Pennsylvania Military College" as ener and Kapelski names involved a tag for the present cadet corps for financial commitments were shot the late George Widener) for per­ Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • Guilty As Charged? Mistaken Identity, Science, and Criminal Law
    WIDENER UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW VOLUME 14 NUMBER 1 SPRING 07 Guilty as charged? Mistaken identity, science, and criminal law The technology of surveillance Twelve years of service from the Criminal Defense Clinic Mistaken eyewitness identification and wrongful convictions WIDENER UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW VOLUME14 NUMBER1 SPRING 07 Widener University School of Law Board of Overseers Eugene D. McGurk, Esq. ’78, Chair Associate Provost and Dean, Linda L. Ammons, Ex Officio Steven P. Barsamian, Esq. ’75, Ex Officio C. Grainger Bowman, Esq. The Honorable M. Jane Brady The Honorable Peter John Daley II ’93 Michael G. DeFino, Esq. ’75 The Honorable Susan C. Del Pesco ’75 Jeff Foreman, Esq. ’94 Geoffrey Gamble, Esq. Jacqueline G. Goodwin, EdD The Honorable Philip A. Gruccio Vice Dean Russell A. Hakes, Ex Officio President JamesT. Harris III, DEd, Ex Officio Richard K. Herrmann, Esq. Justice Randy J. Holland Andrew McK. Jefferson, Esq. ’93 Peter M. Mattoon, Esq. Kathleen W. McNicholas, MD, JD ’06 George K. Miller Jr., Esq. ’81 The Honorable Charles P. Mirarchi Jr. The Honorable Donald F. Parsons Jr. Joanne Phillips, Esq. ’87 Vice Dean Loren D. Prescott Jr., Ex Officio Widener University School of Law Magazine Thomas L. Sager, Esq. Published by the Office of University Relations The HonorableThomas G. Saylor John F. Schmutz, Esq. Executive Editor: Lou Anne Bulik Susan E. Schwab, Esq. ’92 Editor: Debra Goldberg The Honorable Gregory M. Sleet Contributing Writers: Mary Allen, Jules Epstein, Debra Goldberg, The Honorable Lee A. Solomon ’78 Russell Hakes, Stephen Henderson, Rosemary Pall, Loren Jack M. Stover, Esq. Prescott, Judith Ritter, Sandy Smith, Leonard Sosnov Donald P.Walsh, Esq.
    [Show full text]
  • Calendar 1972-73
    Calendar 1972-73 September, 1972 4 Monday-Labor Day 7 Thursday- Reporting date for all new students 11 Monday-Registration for all students 12 Tuesday-First semester classes begin Octobe r, 1972 14 Saturday-Alumni Homecoming Day 27 Friday- Mid-semester marking period ends Novembe r, 1972 4 S<tturday-Parents' Day 22 Wednesday-Th anksgiving recess begins after student's last class 23 Thursday-Thanksgiving 27 Monday-Classes resume December, 1972 14, 15 Thursday, Friday- Independent Study (reading period for finals) 16 Saturday-Final examinations begin 22 Friday- First semester ends 25 Monday-Christmas Janu ary, 1973 1 Monday- New Year's Day 2-26 January Program 29 Monday-Registration for second semester for all students 31 Wednesday-Second semester classes begin March, 1973 16 Friday-Mid-semester marking period ends 23 Friday-Spring recess begins after student's la st class April, 1973 2 Monday-Classes resume 20 Good Friday 22 Sunday-Easter 23 Monday-Classes re sume May, 1973 11 Friday- Independent Study (reading period for finals) 12 Saturday- Final examinations begin 18 Friday- Second semester ends 19 Saturday- Alumni Day, President's Reception and Graduation Ball 20 Sunday-Commencement 28 Monday- Memorial Day 29 Tuesday- Summer pre-session opens June,1973 16 Saturday-Summer pre-session ends 18 Monday- First summer session opens July, 1973 20 Friday- First sum mer session ends 23 Monday-Second summer session opens August, 1973 24 Friday-Second summer session ends September, 1973 11 Tuesday- First semester classes begin Widener College 1972-1973 Accredited by Middle Atlantic States Association of Coll eges and Secondary Schools Al l statements in this ca talog are in fo rce o nly fo r the aca dem ic yea r 1972-73 and subject to change by ac tion of th e govern ing body.
    [Show full text]
  • Printed & Bound, June 2015
    Printed & Bound A Newsletter for Bibliophiles June 2015 Printed & Bound focuses on the book as a collectible item and as an example of the printer’s art. It provides information about the history of printing and book production, guidelines for developing a book collection, and news about book-related publications and activities. Articles in Printed & Bound may be reprinted free of charge provided that full attribution is given (name and date of publication, title and author of article, and copyright information). Please request permission via email ([email protected]) before The Widener Memorial Library at Harvard University was dedicated to reprinting articles. Unless the memory of book collector Harry Elkins Widener in 1915. otherwise noted, all content is written by Paula Jarvis, Editor and Publisher. A MOTHER’S MEMORIAL TO HER SON Printed & Bound One hundred years ago, Harvard University conducted a Volume 2 Number 2 month-long dedication in honor of its new Henry Elkins June 2015 Issue Widener Memorial Library. From May 13 to June 24, 1915, © 2015 by Paula Jarvis the university introduced the public to the library named for c/o Nolan & Cunnings, Inc. a young book collector who lost his life when the RMS Titanic 28800 Mound Road sank on April 15, 1912, just eight years after he received his Warren, MI 48092 Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard. See page 3 to learn more about Widener and the library that bears his name. Printed & Bound is published in February, June, and October. Past issues are available in the “Newsletters” section of The Book Club of Detroit website: www.bookclubofdetroit.org.
    [Show full text]
  • Widener College May Obtain Alumni Are Located in Old Main (5)
    Widener Th e offices of che Vice President for Academic Affairs, che Dean of Arcs and Science, che Center of Management and Applied Economics, che Humanities Group, che Social Science Group, and che Evening Division are located 1n College che Kapelski Learning Center (3). The Center of Engineering, che Center of Nursing, and che Science Group are located in Kirkbride Hall of Science CHESTER • PENNSYLVANIA • 19013 • 215-876-5551 and Engineering (2). Administrative offices including che president's, the vice presidents for development, fiscal affairs, management informacion systems, and student affairs; controller, business office, admissions, registrar, development, and Vis itors to Widener College may obtain alumni are located in Old Main (5). Public relations, che information at th e telephone exchange located Widener Way for Women, and Teacher Education are inside th e front entrance of Old M ain (5). located in Hyau Hall (8) . Department of Military Science Campus tours and intervie ws are arr anged (ROTC) is on che ground floor of Hanna Hall (G). Assistant in th e Admissions Office located on the main vice president for scudenc affairs, housing, counseling, floor of Old Main. Visitors are requested to use veterans affairs, special events and Office of Freshman th e entrance to Old M ai n on 14th Street Programs are located in Webb Hall (13). (opposi te MacMorland Center) and to park on Direccor of Athletics and offices of che coaching staff the marked spaces along the semi-circular are located in Schwartz Physical Education Center (16) . driveway in front of Old Main. Director of Scudenc Union and his staff are located in MacMorland Center (14).
    [Show full text]