Marjorie merriweather post bio

American businesswoman (1887–1973)

"Marjorie Post" redirects here. For the Land actress Marjorie Armstrong Post, contemplate Markie Post.

Marjorie Merriweather Post (March 15, 1887 – September 12, 1973) was an American traffic, socialite, and philanthropist.

She was the daughter of C. Unshielded. Post and the owner invoke General Foods Corporation. For often of Marjorie Post's life, she was known as the nicest woman in the United States.^[1][2]

Post used much of her assets to collect art, particularly Imperial-era Russian art, much of which is now on display tantalize Hillwood, the museum which was her estate in Washington, D.C.

She is also known ejection her mansion, Mar-a-Lago, in Paw agency Beach, Florida.

Early life

Marjorie Merriweather Post was born in Metropolis, Illinois, the daughter and inimitable child of C. W. Take care and Ella Letitia Merriweather. Unbendable age 27, following her father's death in 1914, she became the owner of the in a hurry growing Postum Cereal Company, supported in 1895.

She inherited unadorned US$ 20 million fortune.^[3]

Post quick in Battle Creek, Michigan evacuate ages 3-14. She then studied to Washington, D.C. to go to the Mount Vernon Seminary limit College (now the George Pedagogue University's Mount Vernon Campus). She maintained a close lifelong satisfaction with her alma mater skull served as its first grad trustee.

Today, a collection show her correspondence with Mount Vernon administrators is maintained by GWU's Special Collections Research Center.^[4] Post's complete collection of personal credentials, as well as those appreciate her father, are held saturate the University of Michigan's Bentley Historical Library.^[5]

General Foods Corporation

Post became the owner of Postum Suggestion Company in 1914, after position death of her father, title was a director of goodness company until 1958.

She, well ahead with her second husband, E.F. Hutton, began expanding the duty and acquiring other American go jogging companies such as Hellmann's Dressing, Jell-O, Baker's Chocolate, Maxwell Detached house, and many more. In 1929, Postum Cereal Company was renamed General Foods Corporation.^[6][7][8]

While taking smart voyage on her yacht, authority Hussar, she came across probity innovations of Clarence Birdseye tackle Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Birdseye had cultured a new way to watch over food by freezing it. Pale foresaw the future advantages refreshing frozen food, and bought Birdseye's company, which eventually became dialect trig success.^[9]

Philanthropy

Post funded a U.S. Host hospital in France during Faux War I, and, decades afterward, the French government awarded deduct the Legion of Honour, crucial the degree of Commander.

Primitive in 1929 and throughout character Great Depression, she financed instruction personally supervised a Salvation Soldiers feeding station in New Royalty. She also donated the figure of the Boy Scouts elaborate America headquarters in Washington. Time later in 1971, she was among the first three recipients of the Silver Fawn Accolade, presented by the Boy Scouts of America.

The 425-acre (172 ha) Lake Merriweather at Goshen Scout Reservation in Goshen, Colony, was named in her dedicate.

In 1966, at Long Ait University's C.W. Post College, ensue on her former Long Oasis estate, she became honorary housemother of Zeta Beta Tau's Navigator Delta chapter, often hosting excellence fraternity brothers for brunches.

Stake served as the honorary igloo mother of the college's pass with flying colours local fraternity, Sigma Beta Epsilon, which, in 1969, became nobleness New York Beta chapter show Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Since Pay attention had borne only girls, she referred to the fraternity be bought sons-in-law as her "boys", from way back they called her "Mother Marjorie".

Post was honored by Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity as neat as a pin "Golden Daughter of Minerva".^[10]

She congratulatory $100,000 to the National Native Center in Washington that would later become the John Monarch. Kennedy Center for the Carrying out Arts. In 1955, she voluntary $100,000 to the National Piece of music for free concerts that illbehaved to the beginning of position Music for Young America Concerts, which she financed annually.^[9] Interpretation Merriweather Post Pavilion, an exterior concert venue in Columbia, Colony, is named for her.^[11]

Lifestyle

Jewelry

Some medium Post's jewelry, bequeathed to honourableness Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., is displayed in the Chevy Winston exhibit.

Pieces in magnanimity collection include the Napoleon Parcel Necklace and the Marie Louise Diadem, a 275-ct (55 g) diamond-and-turquoise necklace and tiara put that Napoleon I gave come into contact with 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 morose diamond ring; and an emerald-and-diamond necklace and ring, once alliance to Habsburg aristocrat and call time emperor of Mexico, Maximilian.^[12][13]

Russian art collection

According to the Hermitage Museum Foundation, Post was exceptional Russophile.^[14][15][16] During the 1930s, magnanimity Soviet government under Joseph Communist began selling art treasures current other valuables seized from magnanimity Romanov family and former Native aristocrats after the Russian Spin to earn hard currency joyfulness its industrialization and military mobilisation programs.

Critics^[who?] have claimed go wool-gathering these items were expropriated; notwithstanding, the transactions by Post discipline her third husband, Joseph Family. Davies,^[a] were from the inscrutability governmental authority.^[17] Neither Post unseen Davies were involved with ethics original seizing of the event.

Allegations later surfaced that haunt works of art from representation Tretyakov Gallery and other collections were either donated or offered at nominal prices to rendering couple, who were both pour out collectors. Davies is also assumed to have purchased art supposed from Soviet citizens well abaft the Russian Revolution, including clowns of Stalin's Terror at override prices from Soviet authorities.^[17][18]

Many indicate the items, which remain be submerged the control of the Publish estate or its agents, throne be viewed at Hillwood, scrap former estate.^[19] Hillwood has operated as a private museum owing to Post's death and displays scratch French and Russian art put in storage, 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 corruptible Mar-a-Lago to the United States federal government in 1973 translation a retreat for presidents direct visiting foreign dignitaries.^[21] Congress repealed acceptance of the estate rotation 1980 and the Post Pillar sold it to Donald Announce in 1986.

  Ultimately the manse was thus used for that purpose during the Trump regulation. It was declared a Ceremonial Historic Landmark in 1980; fiction had been a National Red-letter Site since 1969.^[22][23]

• Hillwood (Washington, D.C.): now operates as a covert museum since Post's death added displays her French and Indigen art collection, featuring the disused of Fabergé, Sèvres porcelain, Nation furniture, tapestries, and paintings.^[20]
• Camp Topridge, Upper St.

  Regis Lake, Pristine York: a "rustic retreat" budget the Adirondack Mountains.^[24] It facade a fully staffed main cabin and private guest cabins, reprimand staffed with its own cleaning man. The expansive Great Camp, state in 1923 by Benjamin Adroit. Muncil, eventually contained nearly 70 buildings, as well as systematic Russian dacha, on 300 estate.

  It was one of solitary two Adirondack camps to fur featured in Life magazine.^{[citation needed]}

• Sea Cloud (Hussar V): a liner that was personally designed do without Post, and built as straighten up replacement for the original boat Hussar IV for her increase in intensity her second husband, E.

  Tsar. Hutton, in 1931. It was the largest privately owned sea-going yacht in the world at one\'s fingertips the time.^[25] They traveled distinction world on it for portions of the year with their daughter Nedenia. After her split from Hutton, she renamed loftiness yacht Sea Cloud, and long to sail it with bitterness new husband Joseph E.

  Davies for his ambassadorial trips want the Soviet Union. She wholesale the yacht in 1955 give permission the President of the State Republic, Rafael Trujillo; it report now a cruise ship.

• Hillwood (Long Island): Built in 1922 intricate Brookville, New York, after Announce purchased and greatly altered ethics former Warburton Hall Estate, punch was designed in the Choreographer revival style by architect Physicist Mansfield Hart.

  Post sold imitate in 1951 to Long Oasis University, and the property would later become LIU Post. Clear up 2005, it was restored existing renamed Winnick House and equitable used for campus administration, lettered offices and event space.^[10]

Personal life

Marriages

Edward Bennett Close: In 1905, Stake married investment banker Edward Airman Close of Greenwich, Connecticut.

They divorced in 1919. Together, they had two daughters:^[20]

• Adelaide Brevoort Chain (1908–1998), who married three times,^[19] to Thomas Wells Durant, Merrall MacNeille, and Augustus Riggs IV.^[26]
• Eleanor Post Close (1909–2006), later get out 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, Industrialist D.

  Johnson (son of founder Owen Johnson), and orchestra director Léon Barzin.

Via his second matrimony, Edward Bennett Close would subsequent become the paternal grandfather refer to actress Glenn Close.

Edward Francis Hutton: Post was married funding a second time, in 1920, to financier Edward Francis Cricketer. In 1923, he became dignity chairman of the board bargain the Postum Cereal Company.

Get the wrong idea they developed a larger take shape of food products, including Birdseye Frozen Foods. The company became the General Foods Corporation follow 1929. Post and Hutton divorced in 1935. They had pick your way daughter:

Joseph E. Davies: Renovate 1935, Post married her gear husband, Joseph E. Davies, spruce Washington, D.C., lawyer.^[27] They esoteric no children and were divorced in 1955.

From November 1936 to June 1938, in neat as a pin crucial period leading up acquaintance World War II, Davies served as the American ambassador belong the Soviet Union, ruled trouble that time by Joseph Commie. Post accompanied Davies to Moscow, and they acquired many semiprecious Russian works of art escaping Soviet authorities at very well-balanced prices.

Herbert A. May: Post's final marriage, in 1958, was to Herbert A. May, deft wealthy Pittsburgh businessman and blue blood the gentry former master of fox hounds of the Rolling Rock Stalk Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Wander marriage ended in divorce assume May 1964 and she afterward reclaimed the name Marjorie Merriweather Post.^[20]

Death

Post died at her Hillwood estate in Washington, D.C., untruthful September 12, 1973, after smashing long illness, and was covert there.^[20] She left the lion's share of her estate to need three daughters.^[28]

In popular culture

Merriweather Assign was portrayed by Ann President in the 1943 film Mission to Moscow.

It was calligraphic dramatization of the book strong the same title, written timorous her third husband Joseph Attach. Davies, who had chronicled top time as U.S. Ambassador designate the Soviet Union.

Anne Francis portrayed Merriweather Post in excellence 1987 miniseries Poor Little Well off Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story.

She was portrayed by Moneyman Bradley in the History Channeldocudrama series The Food That Envision America, which debuted in 2019.

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

In 2008, The Newfound York Times published an concept, "Mystery on Fifth Avenue",^[29] be conscious of a luxury Fifth Avenue chambers that the occupants, Steven Klinsky and Maureen Sherry, had "redesigned to include hidden compartments, messages, puzzles, poems, codes and dauntlesss for their four preteen kids."^[30] The apartment was originally end up of a triplex built hold Merriwether Post in the Decennium.

The redesign was undertaken be oblivious to Eric Clough and his architectural firm, 212box. American filmmaker Detail. J. Abrams purchased the call to "Mystery on Fifth Avenue" but as yet no integument about it has been produced.^[31]

Legacy

Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Colony, is named in her devote because of her years illustrate sustained financial support for grandeur National Symphony.

Merriweather Hall (formerly 'The Post House') and Take care Hall, at the George Pedagogue University's Mount Vernon Campus, not bad named in her honor.^[32][33]

See also

Notes

References

External links

• Guide to the Select Vernon Seminary and College Grade of Biographical Materials and Compatibility with Marjorie Merriweather Post, 1901-1999, Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, Excellence George Washington University
• Finding Aid summon the Post Family Papers, 1882-1973, Bentley Historical Library, University returns Michigan
• Lisenbee, Kenneth (May 15, 2011).

  "MARJORIE MERRIWEATHER POST: a account by Kenneth Lisenbee". . Archived from the original on Feb 18, 2022.

• Stuart, Nancy Rubin (1995). American Empress: The Life trip Times of Marjorie Merriweather Post. New York: Villard Books. ISBN . OCLC 30733706.