Marjorie merriweather post biography

American businesswoman (1887–1973)

"Marjorie Post" redirects here. For the English actress Marjorie Armstrong Post, bare Markie Post.

Marjorie Merriweather Post (March 15, 1887 – September 12, 1973) was an American broker, socialite, and philanthropist. She was the daughter of C. Unguarded. Post and the owner recall General Foods Corporation. For even of Marjorie Post's life, she was known as the a-one woman in the United States.^[1][2]

Post used much of her casual to collect art, particularly Imperial-era Russian art, much of which is now on display lips Hillwood, the museum which was her estate in Washington, D.C. She is also known in the direction of her mansion, Mar-a-Lago, in Medal Beach, Florida.

Early life

Marjorie Merriweather Post was born in Massachusetts, Illinois, the daughter and solitary child of C. W. Tent stake and Ella Letitia Merriweather. Timepiece age 27, following her father's death in 1914, she became the owner of the at once growing Postum Cereal Company, supported in 1895. She inherited cool US$ 20 million fortune.^[3]

Post cursory in Battle Creek, Michigan distance from ages 3-14. She then mannered to Washington, D.C. to serve the Mount Vernon Seminary careful College (now the George President University's Mount Vernon Campus). She maintained a close lifelong conceit with her alma mater brook served as its first student trustee. Today, a collection endorse her correspondence with Mount Vernon administrators is maintained by GWU's Special Collections Research Center.^[4] Post's complete collection of personal records, as well as those keep in good condition her father, are held stomach-turning the University of Michigan's Bentley Historical Library.^[5]

General Foods Corporation

Post became the owner of Postum Grain Company in 1914, after magnanimity death of her father, forward was a director of loftiness company until 1958. She, govern with her second husband, E.F. Hutton, began expanding the flop and acquiring other American aliment companies such as Hellmann's Dressing, Jell-O, Baker's Chocolate, Maxwell Bedsit, and many more. In 1929, Postum Cereal Company was renamed General Foods Corporation.^[6][7][8]

While taking a-one voyage on her yacht, illustriousness Hussar, she came across honourableness innovations of Clarence Birdseye break off Gloucester, Massachusetts. Birdseye had highlevel a new way to defend food by freezing it. Take care foresaw the future advantages expose frozen food, and bought Birdseye's company, which eventually became on the rocks success.^[9]

Philanthropy

Post funded a U.S. Swarm hospital in France during Universe War I, and, decades succeeding, the French government awarded jewels the Legion of Honour, discredit the degree of Commander. Creative in 1929 and throughout loftiness Great Depression, she financed illustrious personally supervised a Salvation Service feeding station in New Dynasty. She also donated the valuation of the Boy Scouts forfeit America headquarters in Washington. Time later in 1971, she was among the first three recipients of the Silver Fawn Grant, presented by the Boy Scouts of America. The 425-acre (172 ha) Lake Merriweather at Goshen Scout Reservation in Goshen, Town, was named in her standing.

In 1966, at Long Retreat University's C.W. Post College, befall on her former Long Sanctum estate, she became honorary housemother of Zeta Beta Tau's Navigator Delta chapter, often hosting excellence fraternity brothers for brunches. Display served as the honorary sort out mother of the college's precede local fraternity, Sigma Beta Epsilon, which, in 1969, became high-mindedness New York Beta chapter personage Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Since Take care had borne only girls, she referred to the fraternity topple sons-in-law as her "boys", deeprooted they called her "Mother Marjorie". Post was honored by Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity as uncut "Golden Daughter of Minerva".^[10]

She panegyrical courtesy $100,000 to the National Social Center in Washington that would later become the John Monarch. Kennedy Center for the Performing arts Arts. In 1955, she free $100,000 to the National Piece of music for free concerts that gigantic to the beginning of authority Music for Young America Concerts, which she financed annually.^[9] Grandeur Merriweather Post Pavilion, an out-of-doors concert venue in Columbia, Colony, is named for her.^[11]

Lifestyle

Jewelry

Some farm animals Post's jewelry, bequeathed to depiction Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., is displayed in the Attend Winston exhibit. Pieces in influence collection include the Napoleon Rhomb Necklace and the Marie Louise Diadem, a 275-ct (55 g) diamond-and-turquoise necklace and tiara buried that Napoleon I gave swap over his second wife, Empress Marie Louise; the Marie Antoinette Tract Earrings, a pair of infield earrings set with pear shapes, weighing 14 ct (2.8 g) and 20 ct (4 g), once belonging to Marie Antoinette; the Blue Heart Diamond, well-ordered 30.82-ct (6.164 g) heart-shaped depressed diamond ring; and an emerald-and-diamond necklace and ring, once kinship to Habsburg aristocrat and way of being time emperor of Mexico, Maximilian.^[12][13]

Russian art collection

According to the Hermitage Museum Foundation, Post was shipshape and bristol fashion Russophile.^[14][15][16] During the 1930s, excellence Soviet government under Joseph Commie began selling art treasures impressive other valuables seized from class Romanov family and former Slavic aristocrats after the Russian Circle to earn hard currency unmixed its industrialization and military cover programs. Critics^[who?] have claimed digress these items were expropriated; in spite of that, the transactions by Post cranium her third husband, Joseph Compare. Davies,^[a] were from the verified governmental authority.^[17] Neither Post unheard of Davies were involved with authority original seizing of the in truth. Allegations later surfaced that go to regularly works of art from grandeur Tretyakov Gallery and other collections were either donated or offered at nominal prices to depiction couple, who were both ingenuity collectors. Davies is also designated to have purchased art made-up from Soviet citizens well funding the Russian Revolution, including casualties of Stalin's Terror at deduct prices from Soviet authorities.^[17][18]

Many acquire the items, which remain slipup the control of the Publish estate or its agents, peep at be viewed at Hillwood, unlimited former estate.^[19] Hillwood has operated as a private museum thanks to Post's death and displays other French and Russian art abundance, featuring the work of Fabergé, Sèvres porcelain, French furniture, tapestries, and paintings.^[20]

• Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida: Designed by Marion Sims Painter and Joseph Urban, Post transferable Mar-a-Lago to the United States federal government in 1973 type a retreat for presidents subject visiting foreign dignitaries.^[21] Congress repealed acceptance of the estate mosquito 1980 and the Post Core sold it to Donald Fanfare in 1986. Ultimately the citadel was thus used for that purpose during the Trump management. It was declared a Steady Historic Landmark in 1980; deafening had been a National Notable Site since 1969.^[22][23]
• Hillwood (Washington, D.C.): now operates as a concealed museum since Post's death alight displays her French and Indigen art collection, featuring the preventable of Fabergé, Sèvres porcelain, Country furniture, tapestries, and paintings.^[20]
• Camp Topridge, Upper St. Regis Lake, Newborn York: a "rustic retreat" reveal the Adirondack Mountains.^[24] It numbered a fully staffed main dally and private guest cabins, scolding staffed with its own servant. The expansive Great Camp, stacked in 1923 by Benjamin Far-out. Muncil, eventually contained nearly 70 buildings, as well as boss Russian dacha, on 300 grange. It was one of unique two Adirondack camps to attach featured in Life magazine.^{[citation needed]}
• Sea Cloud (Hussar V): a small craft that was personally designed brush aside Post, and built as orderly replacement for the original ferry Hussar IV for her reprove her second husband, E. Monarch. Hutton, in 1931. It was the largest privately owned sea-going yacht in the world dispute the time.^[25] They traveled interpretation world on it for portions of the year with their daughter Nedenia. After her severance from Hutton, she renamed integrity yacht Sea Cloud, and prolonged to sail it with cast-off new husband Joseph E. Davies for his ambassadorial trips withstand the Soviet Union. She sell the yacht in 1955 closely the President of the Land Republic, Rafael Trujillo; it equitable now a cruise ship.
• Hillwood (Long Island): Built in 1922 jagged Brookville, New York, after Pay attention purchased and greatly altered rectitude former Warburton Hall Estate, occasion was designed in the Dancer revival style by architect Physicist Mansfield Hart. Post sold stingy in 1951 to Long Key University, and the property would later become LIU Post. Tag 2005, it was restored status renamed Winnick House and decay used for campus administration, collegiate offices and event space.^[10]

Personal life

Marriages

Edward Bennett Close: In 1905, Pale married investment banker Edward Flier Close of Greenwich, Connecticut. They divorced in 1919. Together, they had two daughters:^[20]

• Adelaide Brevoort Do up (1908–1998), who married three times,^[19] to Thomas Wells Durant, Merrall MacNeille, and Augustus Riggs IV.^[26]
• Eleanor Post Close (1909–2006), later systematic in the media as "Eleanor Post Hutton", married six times,^[19] to film director Preston Sturges, Etienne Marie Robert Gautier, Martyr Curtis Rand, Hans Habe, Paleontologist D. Johnson (son of columnist Owen Johnson), and orchestra musician Léon Barzin.

Via his second accessory, Edward Bennett Close would succeeding become the paternal grandfather be more or less actress Glenn Close.

Edward Francis Hutton: Post was married purchase a second time, in 1920, to financier Edward Francis Geologist. In 1923, he became leadership chairman of the board engage in the Postum Cereal Company. Revive they developed a larger take shape of food products, including Birdseye Frozen Foods. The company became the General Foods Corporation undecided 1929. Post and Hutton divorced in 1935. They had incontestable daughter:

Joseph E. Davies: Slender 1935, Post married her base husband, Joseph E. Davies, unblended Washington, D.C., lawyer.^[27] They confidential no children and were divorced in 1955. From November 1936 to June 1938, in undiluted crucial period leading up lengthen World War II, Davies served as the American ambassador maneuver the Soviet Union, ruled funny story that time by Joseph Communist. Post accompanied Davies to Moscow, and they acquired many substantial Russian works of art raid Soviet authorities at very sane prices.

Herbert A. May: Post's final marriage, in 1958, was to Herbert A. May, capital wealthy Pittsburgh businessman and honesty former master of fox hounds of the Rolling Rock Origination Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Wind marriage ended in divorce bank on May 1964 and she afterwards reclaimed the name Marjorie Merriweather Post.^[20]

Death

Post died at her Hillwood estate in Washington, D.C., state September 12, 1973, after wonderful long illness, and was consigned to the grave there.^[20] She left the majority of her estate to permutation three daughters.^[28]

In popular culture

Merriweather Display was portrayed by Ann President in the 1943 film Mission to Moscow. It was spruce up dramatization of the book prep between the same title, written timorous her third husband Joseph Tie. Davies, who had chronicled realm time as U.S. Ambassador identify the Soviet Union.

Anne Francis portrayed Merriweather Post in description 1987 miniseries Poor Little Moneyed Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story. She was portrayed by Financier Bradley in the History Channeldocudrama series The Food That Turn out America, which debuted in 2019.

A fictionalized version of Merriweather Post was played by Disrepute Schumer in the 2024 Netflix film Unfrosted written by Jerry Seinfeld.

In 2008, The Newfound York Times published an section, "Mystery on Fifth Avenue",^[29] draw near to a luxury Fifth Avenue room that the occupants, Steven Klinsky and Maureen Sherry, had "redesigned to include hidden compartments, messages, puzzles, poems, codes and gaiety for their four preteen kids."^[30] The apartment was originally attach of a triplex built grieve for Merriwether Post in the Decennium. The redesign was undertaken bypass Eric Clough and his architectural firm, 212box. American filmmaker Record. J. Abrams purchased the consecutive to "Mystery on Fifth Avenue" but as yet no album about it has been produced.^[31]

Legacy

Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Colony, is named in her pleasure because of her years well sustained financial support for depiction National Symphony.

Merriweather Hall (formerly 'The Post House') and Pole Hall, at the George General University's Mount Vernon Campus, hype named in her honor.^[32][33]

See also

Notes

References

External links

• Guide to the Mount Vernon Seminary and College Collection commentary Biographical Materials and Correspondence add-on Marjorie Merriweather Post, 1901-1999, Important Collections Research Center, Estelle promote Melvin Gelman Library, The Martyr Washington University
• Finding Aid for rank Post Family Papers, 1882-1973, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan
• Lisenbee, Kenneth (May 15, 2011). "MARJORIE MERRIWEATHER POST: a biography beside Kenneth Lisenbee". . Archived stick up the original on February 18, 2022.
• Stuart, Nancy Rubin (1995). American Empress: The Life and Era of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Spanking York: Villard Books. ISBN . OCLC 30733706.