Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr.

Template:Short description Template:Infobox person Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. (September 22, 1912 – November 12, 1999) was a British-born member of the prominent Vanderbilt railroad family, and a noted figure of American thoroughbred horse racing. He was the youngest-ever member of The Jockey Club, president of Belmont Racetrack, New York, and Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, and chairman of the board of the New York Racing Association. In World War II, he was decorated for bravery in the South Pacific.

Early life

Born in London, England, Vanderbilt was the second son of the first Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, who died a hero in the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. His mother, Margaret Emerson (daughter of the Bromo-Seltzer inventor Isaac Edward Emerson),<ref name="MrsEObit1960">Template:Cite news</ref> was one of America's wealthiest women and most sought-after hostesses, operating at least seven large estates around the country. His grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, had been one of America's most revered businessmen; his great-grandfather, William Henry Vanderbilt had been the richest man in the world. "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt started the family fortune in shipping and railroads as the founder of the New York Central Railroad and builder of Grand Central Depot (built 1869–1871), the precursor to Grand Central Terminal, built on approximately the same location, and completed in 1913.

He was educated at St. Paul's School and at Yale, where he entered with the class of 1935, but did not graduate.<ref name="Yaleobit192324">Template:Cite web</ref> His mother, Margaret Emerson, gave him a 600-acre (2.4 km²) horse farm in Glyndon, Maryland, called Sagamore Farm, for his 21st birthday, and it was in thoroughbred horse racing that he made his mark. The Vanderbilt family had by then given up control of most of their former railroad interests. Alfred G. Vanderbilt was President of Belmont Racetrack in New York and was the principal owner and president of Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.<ref>Nyra.com Template:Webarchive Template:Dead link</ref>

When he was called into service for World War II, he captained a PT boat in the South Pacific, earning the Silver Star for bravery. He was promoted to lieutenant, junior grade on March 2, 1944. On his discharge, he returned to racing in a major way.

Inheritance

1915 - 1929: Father's Estate

Newspaper reports covering the 1917 appraisal of his father's estate in the New York Surrogate's Court suggest that George received $2,553,204 under his father's will, held in trust. He was to receive the income during his minority, and 25% of his share was to vest on his 21st, 25th, 30th, and 35th birthdays respectively.<ref>The Tacoma Daily Ledger. (9 August 1917). Alfred G Vanderbilt – Division of Estate. Newspapers.com. Retrieved 7 April 2024, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tacoma-daily-ledger-alfred-g-vanderb/144925447/</ref>

In 1919 Alfred and his brother George jointly inherited a further $1,700,000 which had reverted to their father's residuary estate; this amount had been held in a trust that had formed part of the divorce settlement their father had paid to his first wife Elsie French, which ceased upon her remarriage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1929, Alfred received an additional $1,002,507.70 under the terms of his father's Will, following a decision by the Surrogate's Court of New York concerning surplus funds from a trust established for his grandmother, Alice Claypoole Vanderbilt. The trust, created under the will of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, had accumulated more income and principal than was required to meet Alice’s fixed annuity of $250,000 per year. The court ruled that the resulting $2,005,015.39 in surplus should revert to the residuary estate of Cornelius Vanderbilt II; his Will provided that the beneficiary of his residuary estate was Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Senior, who in turn had designated his sons Alfred and his brother George as the co-beneficiaries of his residuary estate.<ref name="BTA1937">Template:Cite court</ref>

1934: Estate of Alice G. Vanderbilt

Alfred, his brother George, and their half-brother William shared a $500,000 bequest in the Will of their paternal grandmother Alice Claypoole Vanderbilt following her death in 1934.<ref name="WhitneyPapers">Template:Cite web</ref>

1931: Estate of Isaac Edward Emerson

Approximately $9 million of the $12.7 million estate of Alfred's maternal grandfather, Isaac Edward Emerson, was placed in a 20-year Trust following Emerson's death in 1931.<ref name="BaltSun-1932">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Ryall1940">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Under the terms of his grandfather's will, Alfred was to receive 2% of the annual income, and 2% of the Trust Capital when it vested in 1951. His mother Margaret and her step-mother each received a 35.5% share of the trust.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The value of the Trust was reported to be approximately $6,000,000 when the Trust vested in 1951, indicating that Alfred's share would amount to $120,000, and his mother's share as $2,130,000.<ref name="EveningSun-1951">Template:Cite news</ref>

1940: Profile in The New Yorker

A 1940 profile of Alfred published in The New Yorker magazine quoted Alfred as stating that contemporary estimates of his wealth ranging to $20 million were grossly exaggerated.<ref name="Ryall1940" /> Alfred asserted that he was worth approximately $8,500,000 in 1940, although this included funds held in Trust for his benefit.<ref name="Ryall1940" />

Thoroughbred racing

Vanderbilt was one of the original members of the Westchester Racing Association and a driving force behind thoroughbred racing in America for most of the 20th century. His mother, Margaret Emerson, took him to his first race, the Preakness Stakes, in 1922. He often said, "After that, I was hooked." On his 21st birthday, his mother gave him Sagamore Farm, her racing operation in Reisterstown, Maryland, which she had inherited from her father, Isaac Emerson, who invented Bromo-Seltzer and founded the Emerson Drug Company, which later became Warner-Lambert.

Vanderbilt personally oversaw the breeding and training of his stable. His first major acquisition was Discovery, one of the great handicap horses of the age, who became his foundation sire.

At age 20 in 1932, he bought Pimlico Race Course outside Baltimore. Three years later, Vanderbilt was elected to The Jockey Club, the youngest member in its history. In 1938, he arranged the famous match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral. He was president of Belmont Park and Pimlico at the same time before joining the Navy.

During World War II, he captained a PT boat in the South Pacific and was awarded the Silver Star for bravery under fire.

He then returned to racing, bringing his greatest champion, Native Dancer, to the track in 1952. Native Dancer won all 9 starts as a 2-year-old and was named Horse of the Year. He won every start as a three-year-old except the Kentucky Derby, which he lost by a head to Cain Hoy Stable's Dark Star. Still, Native Dancer was named 3-year-old Male Champion and was Horse of the Year again in his 4th year. All told, he won 21 of 22 starts, with the single second-place finish in the 1953 Kentucky Derby his only career loss. Many consider the Grey Ghost of Sagamore to have been the first Thoroughbred television star, and TV Guide ranked him as a top icon of the era".<ref>"Racing Through the Century" by Mary Simon</ref>Template:Page needed

He eventually campaigned four national champions: Discovery, Next Move, Bed O' Roses, and Native Dancer.

Vanderbilt continued racing throughout his life and served as chairman of the board of the New York Racing Association from 1971 to 1975. The New York Turf Writers voted him "The Man Who Did The Most for Racing" a record four times, posthumously renaming the award in his honor.

Personal life

Vanderbilt was married three times. His first marriage was in 1938 to Manuela Mercedes Hudson (1920–1978), a niece of racehorse owner Charles S. Howard.<ref name="1938Engagement">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="1938Wedding">Template:Cite news</ref> The couple separated and began living apart in December 1940. Before their divorce in 1942, they were the parents of:<ref name="1942Divorce">Template:Cite news</ref>

• Wendy Maria Vanderbilt (1939–2016),<ref name="WVLObit2016">Template:Cite news</ref> an artist who married Orin Lehman (1920–2008), the long-serving commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks and Recreation.<ref name="OLOBit2008">Template:Cite news</ref>

His second marriage was on October 13, 1945, to Jeanne Lourdes Murray (1919–2013), a sister of Catherine Murray di Montezemolo and granddaughter of Thomas E. Murray.<ref name="1945Wedding">Template:Cite news</ref> Before their divorce in 1956,<ref name="1956Divorce">Template:Cite news</ref> they were the parents of:<ref name="Lilly1975">Template:Cite news</ref>

• Heidi Murray Vanderbilt (1948–2021), who married Jones Harris (b. 1929), the son of actors Ruth Gordon and Jed Harris, in 1971.<ref name="1971HarrisWedding">Template:Cite news</ref> They had a son named Jack Harris in 1972. Heidi made her Broadway debut in 1965 in Gordon's A Very Rich Woman, along with Katharine Houghton.<ref name="1965Debut">Template:Cite news</ref> She published her first novel, The Scar Rule, on her 72nd birthday.
• Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt III (b. 1949), who married Alison Campbell Platten in 1971.<ref name="AGVJrWedding1971">Template:Cite news</ref> He is the father of screenwriter James Vanderbilt.

In 1957, he married for the third time to Jean Harvey (b. 1937) of the Cudahy meat-packing empire. Before their eventual divorce in 1975,<ref name="Lilly1975"/> they were the parents of:<ref name=nytobit/>

• Nicholas Harvey Vanderbilt (1958–1984), who went missing on Mount Robson in British Columbia,<ref name="NHVLost1984">Template:Cite news</ref> and was presumed dead.<ref name="1984Obit">Template:Cite news</ref>
• Victoria Emerson Vanderbilt (b. 1959), who married James Weiss.
• Michael Daggett Vanderbilt (b. 1967), who was born in Saratoga Springs, New York,<ref name="1967Birth">Template:Cite news</ref> and graduated from Trinity College (Connecticut) in 1989.<ref name="TCF1989">Template:Cite web</ref>

He died November 12, 1999, at his home in Mill Neck, New York after attending the morning racehorse workouts, two months after his 87th birthday.<ref name=nytobit>Template:Cite news</ref> He was buried in the Vanderbilt Mausoleum on Staten Island, New York.

In popular culture

In the early 1950s, he was a regular panelist on the NBC game show Who Said That? along with H. V. Kaltenborn, Boris Karloff, and American actress Dagmar.

See also

• Vanderbilt family

External links

• Brief profile of Alfred G. Vanderbilt at the NYRA