View source for John Jacob Astor IV

{{Short description|American businessman (1864–1912)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name            = John Jacob Astor IV
| image           = John Jacob Astor IVb.jpg
| caption         = Astor in 1895
| birth_date      = {{birth date|1864|07|13}}
| birth_place     = [[Rhinebeck, New York]], U.S.
| death_date      = {{death date and age|1912|4|15|1864|7|13}}
| death_place     = North Atlantic Ocean
| death_cause     = [[Sinking of the Titanic|Sinking of the ''Titanic'']]
| burial_place    = [[Trinity Church Cemetery]]<br/>New York City, U.S.
| education       = {{ubl|[[St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)|St Paul's School]]|[[Harvard University]]}}
| occupation      = Business magnate
| relatives       = {{ubl|[[Astor family]]|[[Livingston family]]}}
| children        = {{Plainlist|
* [[Vincent Astor|William Vincent Astor]]
* [[Ava Alice Muriel Astor]]
* [[John Jacob Astor VI]]
}}
| spouse          = {{ubl|{{marriage|[[Ava Lowle Willing]]|February 17, 1891|1910|reason=div}}|{{marriage|[[Madeleine Astor|Madeleine Talmage Force]]|1911<!--Omission per Template:Marriage instructions-->}}}}
| parents       = [[William Backhouse Astor Jr.]] <br> [[Caroline Schermerhorn Astor|Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn]] 
| signature       = Signature of John Jacob Astor IV.png
| module             = {{Infobox military person |embed=yes
 | allegiance         = [[United States]]
 | branch             = [[New York State National Guard]]<br/>[[United States Army]]
 | serviceyears       = {{unbulleted list|1894–1896 ([[New York Guard|Guard]])|1898 ([[U.S. Volunteers]])}}
 | rank               = [[Colonel]] <br/> [[Brevet (military)#United States|Brevet]] [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]]
 | unit               = Staff of Governor [[Levi P. Morton]] <br/> [[Fifth Army Corps (Spanish–American War)|Fifth Army Corps]]
| battles         = {{tree list}}
* [[Spanish–American War]]
** [[Siege of Santiago]]
{{tree list/end}}
 | awards            = [[Spanish Campaign Medal]]
}}
}}

'''John Jacob Astor IV''' (July 13, 1864 – April 15, 1912) was an American business magnate, real estate developer, investor, writer, and lieutenant colonel in the [[Spanish–American War]]. Astor was also a member of the [[Astor family]] and [[Livingston family]]. He was among the most prominent American passengers aboard {{RMS|Titanic}} and perished along with 1,510 others when the ship [[Sinking of the Titanic|sank on her maiden voyage]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Noted Men On The Lost Titanic. Col. Jacob Astor, with His Wife. Isidor Straus and Wife, and Benj. Guggenheim Aboard. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1912/04/16/archives/noted-men-on-the-lost-titanic-col-jacob-astor-with-his-wife-isidor.html |quote=Following are sketches of a few of the well-known persons among the 1,300 passengers on the lost Titanic. The fate of most of them at this time is, of course, not known. Col. John Jacob Astor and Mrs. Astor, [[Isidor Straus]] and Mrs. Straus, [[J. Bruce Ismay]], Managing Director of the White Star Line: [[Benjamin Guggenheim]], and [[Frank D. Millet]], the artist, are perhaps the most widely known of the passengers. ... . |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 16, 1912 |access-date=December 10, 2013}}</ref> Astor was the richest passenger aboard the RMS ''Titanic'' and was thought to be among the richest people in the world at that time, with a net worth of roughly $87 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|0.086966|1912|r=2}} billion in {{Inflation-year|US}}) when he died.{{inflation-fn|US}}<ref name=esjjacol>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cEssAAAAIBAJ&pg=6166%2C3485431 |newspaper=Spartanburg Herald |location=South Carolina |agency=Associated Press |title=Col. John Jacob Astor left estate worth $86,966,611 |date=June 14, 1913 |page=1}}</ref>

==Early life, education, and family==
[[File: John Jacob Astor 1909.jpg|thumb|Astor in 1909]]
[[File:John Astor Astor as Henry IV of France.jpg|thumb|Astor as [[Henry IV of France]]]]
John Jacob Astor IV was born on July 13, 1864, at his parents' country estate of [[Ferncliff forest|Ferncliff]] in [[Rhinebeck, New York]]. He was the youngest of five children and only son of [[William Backhouse Astor&nbsp;Jr.]], a businessman, collector, and racehorse breeder/owner, and [[Caroline Schermerhorn Astor|Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn]], a Dutch-American socialite. His four elder sisters were Emily, Helen, [[Charlotte Augusta Haig|Charlotte]], and [[Carrie Astor Wilson|Carrie]].

John was a great-grandson of German–American fur-trader [[John Jacob Astor]] and Sarah Cox Todd, whose fortune made the [[Astor family]] one of the wealthiest in the United States. Astor's paternal grandfather [[William Backhouse Astor&nbsp;Sr.]] was a prominent real estate businessman. Through his paternal grandmother, Margaret Alida Rebecca Armstrong, Astor was also a great-grandson of Senator [[John Armstrong&nbsp;Jr.]] and Alida Livingston of the [[Livingston family]].  His maternal grandparents were [[Abraham Schermerhorn]], a wealthy merchant, and socialite Helen Van Courtlandt White. His sister Helen's husband was diplomat [[James Roosevelt Roosevelt|James Roosevelt "Rosey" Roosevelt]], half-brother of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] of the [[Roosevelt family]]. Another sister, named Carrie, was a noted philanthropist and the wife of [[Marshall Orme Wilson]] (brother of banker [[Richard Thornton Wilson&nbsp;Jr.]] and socialite [[Grace Vanderbilt|Grace (née Wilson) Vanderbilt]]). Astor was also a first cousin of [[William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor]], with whom his mother had a notorious feud resulting in William's removal to England.

Astor attended [[St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)|St Paul's School]] in [[Concord, New Hampshire]], and later attended [[Harvard College]].<ref name=titanic/> He went by the name "Jack". His ungainly appearance and the perception that he was an aimless dilettante led one newspaper to give him the name "Jack Ass-tor".<ref name=NYTimes>{{cite web|title=An Age of Splendor, and Hotel One-Upmanship |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/18/business/yourmoney/18shelf.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 18, 2006}}</ref><ref>William Alan Morrison, Waldorf Astoria, Arcadia Publishing - 2014, page 29</ref>

==Career==
Among Astor's accomplishments was ''[[A Journey in Other Worlds]]'' (1894), a science-fiction novel about life in the year 2000 on the planets [[Saturn]] and [[Jupiter]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Foster, John Wilson |title=The Age of Titanic: Cross-Currents in Anglo-American Culture |date=2002}}</ref> He also patented several inventions, including a bicycle brake in 1898, a "vibratory disintegrator" used to produce gas from [[sphagnum|peat moss]], and a [[Pneumatics|pneumatic]] road-improver, and he helped develop a [[turbine|turbine engine]].

Like generations of Astors before him, he also made millions in real estate.  In 1897, Astor built the Astoria Hotel, "the world's most luxurious hotel",<ref name=WaldorfAstoriaHotel>{{cite web|last=Turkel|first=Stanley|title=The Original Waldorf/Astoria Hotel|url=http://www.hotelinteractive.com/article.aspx?articleid=7469|publisher=hotelinteractive.com|date=4 April 2007}}</ref> in New York City, adjoining the Waldorf Hotel owned by Astor's cousin and rival, William. The complex became known as the [[Waldorf-Astoria (1893–1929)|Waldorf-Astoria Hotel]]. The Waldorf-Astoria would later be the host location to the U.S. inquiries into the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic'', on which Astor died.<ref name=titanic/>

===Military service===
[[File:Astor Battery on parade -.webm|thumb|left|Astor Battery on parade, January 1899]]
From 1894 to 1896, he was a colonel on the military staff of [[Governor of New York|New York Governor]] [[Levi P. Morton]].<ref>{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Astor, John Jacob (capitalist)|display=Astor, John Jacob. An American capitalist, inventor, and soldier|year=1905}}</ref> Shortly after the outbreak of the [[Spanish–American War]] in 1898, Astor personally financed a volunteer artillery unit known as the "Astor Battery", which  served in the Philippines. In May 1898, Astor was appointed a [[lieutenant colonel]] in the U.S. Volunteers and served as an officer on the staff of Major General [[William Shafter]] in [[Cuba]], during the [[Siege of Santiago|Santiago Campaign]]. He was later given a brevet (war/temporary promotion) to colonel in recognition of his services.<ref>"Col. John Jacob Astor". ''The New York Times'' (April 16, 1912).</ref>  He was mustered out of the Volunteer Army in November 1898.

During the war, he allowed his [[yacht]] ''Nourmahal'' to be used by the U.S. government. He appeared in the films ''President McKinley's Inspection of Camp Wikoff'' (1898) and ''Col. John Jacob Astor, Staff and Veterans of the Spanish–American War'' (1899).<ref name=titanic/> As a result of his military service, Astor was entitled to the [[Spanish Campaign Medal]].  After the war, Astor was often referred to as "Colonel Astor."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sinclair |first1=David |title=Dynasty: The Astors and Their Times |date=1984 |publisher=Beaufort Books |isbn=978-0-8253-0223-7 |page=203 |language=en}}</ref>

Astor was a member of several military and hereditary societies. He was an early member of the New York [[Society of Colonial Wars]] and was assigned membership number 138. He was also a member of the [[Military Order of Foreign Wars]], [[Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba]],<ref>{{cite book |title=The American Almanac, Year-book, Cyclopaedia and Atlas |date=1902 |publisher=New York American and journal |page=177 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=unNKAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA177 |language=en}}</ref> and the Society of the American Wars of the United States.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}

==Personal life==
[[File:JJAstorIV.jpg|thumb|right|Astor and his second wife [[Madeleine Astor|Madeleine Talmage Force]]]]
On February 17, 1891,<ref name=TitanicProfile>{{cite web|title=Colonel John Jacob Astor IV|url=http://www.titanicpages.com/1stclass/johnjacobastor|publisher=Titanic History Website}}</ref> Astor married socialite [[Ava Lowle Willing]], a daughter of Edward Shippen Willing and Alice Barton. The couple had two children:
* [[Vincent Astor|William Vincent Astor]] (November 15, 1891 – February 3, 1959), businessman and philanthropist
* [[Ava Alice Muriel Astor]] (July 7, 1902 – July 19, 1956)

Astor and Willing divorced in November 1909. Compounding the scandal of their divorce was Astor's announcement that he would remarry.<ref name=titanic/> On September 9, 1911, the 47-year-old Astor married 18-year-old socialite [[Madeleine Astor|Madeleine Talmage Force]], the sister of real estate businesswoman and socialite [[Katherine Emmons Force]]. Their parents were William Hurlbut Force and Katherine Arvilla Talmage. Astor and Force were married in his mother's ballroom at [[Beechwood (mansion)|Beechwood]], the family's [[Newport, Rhode Island]], mansion. There was also much controversy over their 29-year age difference.<ref name="titanic survivor">{{cite web|title=Titanic Survivor Stories – Madeleine Talmage Force Astor|url=http://www.rmstitanic.net/community/blog/268-titanic-survivor-madeleine|publisher=rmstitanic.net|access-date=17 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927135935/http://www.rmstitanic.net/community/blog/268-titanic-survivor-madeleine|archive-date=September 27, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> His son Vincent despised Force,<ref name=Vincent>{{cite web|title=Part II: Vincent, the Astor Who Gave Away the Money|url=http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/317873/print|publisher=NewYorkSocialDaily|access-date=6 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512034627/http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/317873/print|archive-date=May 12, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> yet he served as best man at his father's wedding.<ref name="encyclopedia titanica">{{cite web|title=Col. Astor Weds Madeleine Force  |date=November 4, 2003 |url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/col-astor-weds-madeleine-force.html|publisher=Encyclopedia Titanica|access-date=17 July 2013}}</ref> The couple took an extended honeymoon in [[Europe]] and [[Egypt]] to wait for the gossip to calm down. Among the few Americans who did not spurn him at this time was [[Margaret Brown]], later fictionalized as ''[[The Unsinkable Molly Brown (musical)|The Unsinkable Molly Brown]]''. She accompanied the Astors to Egypt and [[France]]. After receiving a call to return to the United States, Brown accompanied the couple back home aboard {{RMS|Titanic}}.<ref name=titanic/>

===Residence===
[[File:Ferncliff, Rhinebeck, New York.jpg|thumb|[[Ferncliff Farm|Ferncliff]], the Astor family's country estate in [[Rhinebeck (town), New York|Rhinebeck, New York]]]]
Astor's country estate, [[Ferncliff Farm|Ferncliff]], was north of the town center in [[Rhinebeck (town), New York|Rhinebeck, New York]], with {{convert|1+1/2|mi|km|round=0.5|abbr=off|sp=us}} of [[Hudson River]] frontage in the picturesque Lower [[Hudson River Valley]]. The land had been purchased [[wikt:piecemeal|piecemeal]] by his father during the mid 19th century. Astor was born there.<ref>{{cite news|author=Automobile Club of America|work=The Club Journal|issue=2|date=November 12, 1910|title=Little Journeys to the Homes of Members: Ferncliff|page=1002ff}}</ref>

His father's [[Italianate]] mansion of 1864 was partly rebuilt in 1904 to designs by [[Stanford White]] of [[McKim, Mead & White]]. The house retained its conservative exterior, and a separate sports pavilion in the [[Louis XVI style]] was built. This was Stanford White's last project before he died.<ref>{{cite book|author=Goldberger, Paul |title=A Monograph of the works of McKim, Mead & White, 1879–1915|date= 1985}}</ref>

The "Ferncliff Casino" sports pavilion (later called "Astor Courts") reportedly housed the first residential indoor swimming pool in the U.S., an indoor tennis court with vaulting of [[Guastavino tile]], two squash courts, and guest bedrooms. On the lower level, there was a bowling alley and a shooting range.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.astorcourts.com/about.htm|website=AstorCourts.com|title=About|access-date=September 10, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110914054331/http://www.astorcourts.com/about.htm|archive-date=September 14, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The estate was reduced to {{convert|50|acre|m2}} and was renamed "Astor Courts", eventually becoming a wedding venue.

==''Titanic''==
[[File:Madeleine JackAstor.jpg|thumb|Astor with his wife, Madeleine Force Astor, and their Airedale, Kitty]]
[[File:Titanic-New York Herald front page 2.jpeg|left|thumb|''[[The New York Herald]]'' report of the sinking of ''Titanic''. Most reports featured the Astors in the headlines.]]

While traveling, Madeleine Force Astor became pregnant. Wanting the child born in the U.S., the Astors boarded ''Titanic'' on her maiden voyage to New York. They embarked in [[Cherbourg]], France via the SS ''[[SS Nomadic (1911)|Nomadic]]'', in first class and were the wealthiest passengers aboard. Accompanying the Astors were Astor's valet, Victor Robbins; Mrs. Astor's maid, Rosalie Bidois; and her nurse, Caroline Louise Endres. They also took their pet dog, an [[Airedale Terrier]] named Kitty. The Astors were deeply fond of their dog and had come close to losing her on a previous trip when she went missing in Egypt. Kitty did not survive the sinking.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lostandfond.co.uk/news-features/2010-10/fate-pets-who-sailed-titanic |title=Fate of the pets who sailed on the Titanic |publisher=Lostandfond.co.uk |date=October 2, 2010 |access-date=September 10, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321205230/http://www.lostandfond.co.uk/news-features/2010-10/fate-pets-who-sailed-titanic |archive-date=March 21, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.titanic-passengers.com/johnjacobastor.htm|access-date=February 16, 2012|title=John Jacob Astor IV|publisher=titanic-passengers.com|archive-date=July 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717063734/http://www.titanic-passengers.com/johnjacobastor.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> They had met up with [[Margaret Brown|Margaret "Molly" Brown]] traveling through Egypt. According to [[Edith Rosenbaum]], Astor pointed out some vital statistics of the ship, and said, "She's unsinkable, a modern shipbuilding miracle."{{sfn|Fitch|Layton|Wormstedt|2012|p=92}}

On April 14, when Captain [[Edward Smith (sea captain)|Edward J. Smith]] attended a large dinner party in B Deck restaurant, Salon Steward Thomas Whiteley stated that Smith "talked and joked with Mr Astor.{{sfn|Fitch|Layton|Wormstedt|2012|p=130}} Shortly after ''Titanic'' hit the iceberg, Isaac Frauenthal saw Astor approach Captain Smith and tell him, "Captain, my wife is not in good health. She has gone to bed, and I don't want to get her up unless it is absolutely necessary. What is the situation?" Smith advised Astor to awaken his wife, as they might have to take to the boats. Astor "never changed expression...thanked the Captain courteously and walked rapidly, but composedly away".{{sfn|Fitch|Layton|Wormstedt|2012|p=163–166}} Astor informed his wife of the collision but told her the damage did not appear to be serious. He and his wife and other passengers talked about the collision with the iceberg. Some time later, as the ship's [[Lifeboats of the RMS Titanic|lifeboats]] for first class were being manned, Astor remained unperturbed; he and his wife played with the mechanical horses in the gymnasium. At some point Astor is thought to have sliced the lining of an extra lifebelt with a pen knife to show his wife its contents, either to prove they were not of use or to reassure her that they were. He even declared: "We are safer here than in that little boat."<ref>{{cite book  | last = Lord  | first = Walter  | author-link = Walter Lord | title = [[A Night to Remember (book)|A Night to Remember]]  | year = 1976  | publisher = Penguin Books  | location = London  | isbn = 978-0-14-004757-8  }}</ref>{{rp|73–74}}<ref name=titanic/>

At boat No. 7, Astor and his wife were about to board when Astor drew back and pulled his wife back with him. Someone said something to Astor, but it is unknown what was said.{{sfn|Fitch|Layton|Wormstedt|2012|p=194}} On A Deck, [[May Futrelle|Lily May Peel]] saw Astor smoking a cigarette with [[Jacques Futrelle]].{{sfn|Fitch|Layton|Wormstedt|2012|p=213}} When Second Officer [[Charles Lightoller]] later arrived on A Deck to finish loading Lifeboat 4, Astor helped his wife, with her maid and nurse, into it. He then asked if he might join his wife because she was in "a delicate condition;" however, Lightoller told him men were not to be allowed to board until all the women and children had been loaded. Astor did not protest, and simply kissed his wife, telling her that he would follow in another boat. According to ''Titanic'' passenger [[Archibald Gracie IV]], who also helped Astor's wife into the boat:

<blockquote>She was lifted up through the window, and her husband helped her on the other side, and when she got in, her husband was on one side of this window and I was on the other side, at the next window. I heard Mr Astor ask the second officer whether he would not be allowed to go aboard this boat to protect his wife. He said, "No, sir, no man is allowed on this boat or any of the boats until the ladies are off." Mr. Astor then said (something to the effect of) "Well, tell me the number of this boat so I may find her afterwards" and was told "Number 4."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.titanicinquiry.org/USInq/AmInq11Gracie01.php |website=United States Senate Inquiry into the Titanic|title= Online reference}}</ref></blockquote>

A news article posted in the ''[[Chicago Record-Herald|Chicago Record Herald]]'' tells of Astor placing his wife into the final lifeboat then ordering Ida Sophia Hippach and her 17-year-old daughter Jean Gertrude to take the final two places before the boat was lowered away.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chicagoans saved by Astor – Chicago Record Herald|url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/chicagoans-saved-by-astor.html|access-date=1 March 2015|publisher=Encyclopedia Titanica|date=22 April 1912}}</ref> 11-year old Master Elias Nicola-Yarred and his 14-year old sister Jamilia also made it to the boat, stating that Astor turned to help other passengers into the boat, including Yarred and his sister.{{sfn|Fitch|Layton|Wormstedt|2012|p=222}} After Lifeboat 4 was lowered at 1:55 am, Astor is said to have stood with [[John B. Thayer]], [[Harry Elkins Widener]] and Arthur Ryerson, waving.<ref name=titanic/> ''Titanic'' sank at 2:20&nbsp;a.m, on April 15. Madeleine Force Astor, her nurse, and her maid survived. Colonel John Jacob Astor, his valet, Victor Robbins, Kitty and Futrelle perished.

[[File:Waltham Riverside 19j Hunter.jpg|thumb| alt= 1903 Waltham Riverside | Gold [[Waltham Watch Company|Waltham]] pocket watch similar to the one Astor wore aboard [[RMS Titanic|RMS ''Titanic'']]]]
In the aftermath, ships were sent out to retrieve the bodies from the site of the sinking; of the 1,517 passengers and crew who perished in the sinking, only 333 bodies were ever recovered. Astor's body was recovered on April 22 by the cable ship {{ship|CS|Mackay-Bennett||2}}.<ref name=titanic>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Titanica]] |title=John Jacob Astor IV |url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-biography/john-jacob-astor.html | access-date=October 27, 2010 }}</ref> Astor was identified by the initials sewn on the label of his jacket. Among the items found on him was a gold [[pocket watch]], which his son Vincent claimed and wore the rest of his life.<ref>{{cite news |last=Media |first=PA |date=27 April 2024 |title=Tracing a Precious Relic of the Titanic |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/29/fashion/tracing-a-precious-relic-of-the-titanic.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=June 14, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Waterson |first=Jim |date=September 26, 2021 |title=Gold pocket watch of richest man on Titanic fetches record-breaking £1.2m |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/apr/27/gold-pocket-watch-of-richest-man-on-titanic-fetches-record-breaking-12m |access-date=2024-04-28 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> It was later reported that "in 1935, Vincent gave the watch as a christening gift to the infant son of William Dobbyn IV, John Jacob Astor's executive secretary". The pocket watch was sold for £1.175 million at auction on April 27, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Blumenthal|first1=Emily |last2=Nicholls|first2=Catherine |date=April 26, 2024 |title=Gold watch worn by richest passenger aboard Titanic sells for record-breaking $1.5 million |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/style/john-jacob-astor-watch-titanic-scli-intl-gbr/index.html |access-date=April 28, 2024 |agency=CNN}}</ref>

{{blockquote|
'''NO. 124 – MALE – ESTIMATED AGE 50 – LIGHT HAIR & MOUSTACHE.'''

'''CLOTHING''' – Blue serge suit; blue handkerchief with "A.V."; belt with gold buckle; brown boots with red rubber soles; brown flannel shirt; "J.J.A." on back of collar.

'''EFFECTS''' – Gold watch; cuff links, gold with diamond; diamond ring with three stones; £225 in English notes; $2440 in notes; £5 in gold; 7s. in silver; 5 ten franc pieces; gold pencil; pocketbook.

'''FIRST CLASS. NAME- J.J. ASTOR IV'''<ref name="titanic"/>
}}

In his memoir, Gracie claimed that he heard Astor's body was in a crushed condition; this led to popular belief that Astor may have been one of the swimmers killed by the first [[Funnel (ship)|funnel]] falling from the ship.<ref>''National Geographic'', December 1985, Vol. 168, No.6 page 712</ref> This is disputed by John Snow, an undertaker aboard the ship, who said that the body was in an ‘excellent state of preservation’, and Captain Richard Roberts, the commander of Astor's yacht, who said that apart from some slight discolouration by water, Astor's features were unharmed. Gerald Ross, an electrician on the ''Mackay-Bennett'', reported that Astor's "face was swollen, one jaw was injured."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wormstedt.com/GeorgeBehe/page12.htm |title=The Two Deaths of John Jacob Astor -George Behe's "Titanic" Tidbits}}</ref> Author Tim Maltin<!--Q119846417--> writes that Astor’s jaw injury was relatively slight and could have been caused by his lifebelt, if he jumped from ''Titanic'', or by other drowning passengers or debris as the ship sank.<ref name="google1">[https://books.google.com/books?id=jT-8P9ykSkcC&dq=titanic+101+things+bride+smith&pg=PT96 101 Things You Thought You Knew About the Titanic - But Didn't!] at Google Books.co.uk</ref> Among the more dubious accounts, Dr. Washington Dodge says he saw Astor standing with [[Archibald Butt]] near the bridge as the ship went down.<ref>Mowbray, p. 113.</ref> Dodge's account is highly unlikely, as his lifeboat was more than {{convert|0.5|mi|km}} away from the ship at the time it sank.<ref>Barczewski, p. 60.</ref> Survivor Philip Mock was quoted as claiming to have seen Astor in the water clinging to a raft with [[William Thomas Stead]]. "Their feet became frozen," said Mock, "and they were forced to release their hold. Both were drowned."<ref>{{cite news|url =http://www.attackingthedevil.co.uk/titanic/worcester.php |title=Stead and Astor cling to Raft| work=Worcester Telegram|date= April 20, 1912}}</ref> Mock's account is unlikely as he left the ship in Boat No.11.

Astor was buried in [[Trinity Church Cemetery]] in Manhattan, New York City. Four months after ''Titanic'' sank, Madeleine Astor gave birth to his second son, [[John Jacob Astor VI|John Jacob "Jakey" Astor VI]].<ref name=titanic/><ref>{{cite news |title=Son for Mrs. Astor. Named for Father. Both Mother and Baby Said to be Very Well, the Child Strong and Well Formed. |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B0DE6DB113AE633A25756C1A96E9C946396D6CF |quote=Baby is the Sixth John Jacob Astor. Mrs. Madeleine Force Astor, survivor of the Titanic. ... . |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 15, 1912|access-date=June 22, 2008 }}</ref>

==Estate==
[[File:Mrs. Astor mansion 1895.jpg|thumb|[[Mrs. William B. Astor House|840 Fifth Avenue]] in Manhattan]]
[[File:Astors Beechwood Mansion (2966829057).jpg|thumb|right|[[Beechwood (Astor mansion)|Beechwood]], the Astors' summer home in [[Newport, Rhode Island]]]]
Astor left $69 million of his $85 million estate (US${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|85000000|1912}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}{{Inflation-fn|US}}) to Vincent.<ref>{{cite web|title=Astor Bequests Have All Been Paid|url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/astor-bequests-have-all-been-paid.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 2004 |access-date=20 April 2012}}</ref> This value included his [[Ferncliff Farm|Ferncliff]] country estate in [[Rhinebeck (town), New York|Rhinebeck, New York]], and his yacht, the ''[[USS Noma (SP-131)|Noma]]''.

To Madeleine Force Astor, he left $100,000 (US${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|100000|1912}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}{{Inflation-fn|US}}) as an outright bequest, as well as a $5 million trust fund (US${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|5000000|1912}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}{{Inflation-fn|US}}) from which she was provided an income. Additionally, she was given the use of his [[New York City]] mansion ([[Mrs. William B. Astor House|840 Fifth Avenue]] in Manhattan) and all its furnishings, his [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]] mansion ([[Beechwood (Astor mansion)|Beechwood]]) and all its furnishings, the pick of whichever luxury limousine she wanted from his collection, and five of his prized horses—as long as she did not remarry.

His daughter Ava (who lived with her mother, also named Ava) received a $10 million trust fund (US${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|10000000|1912}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}{{Inflation-fn|US}}). Upon turning 21, John Jacob VI inherited the $3 million trust fund Astor had set aside for him (US${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|3000000|1912}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}{{Inflation-fn|US}}).<ref name=MoneyForJakey>{{cite web|title=Astor Estate Goes To Son|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QupgAAAAIBAJ&pg=2415,1723472|publisher=The Evening News|date=7 May 1912}}</ref>

==Portrayals==
{{div col}}
* [[Karl Schönböck]] (1943) ''[[Titanic (1943 film)|Titanic]]''
* [[William Johnstone (actor)|William Johnstone]] (1953) ''[[Titanic (1953 film)|Titanic]]''
* Gordon Mills (1955) (''[[You Are There (series)|You Are There]]: The Sinking of the Titanic'' (TV episode, 22 May 1955)
* Peter Pagan (1956) (''[[Kraft Television Theatre]]'') (''[[A Night to Remember (Kraft Television Theatre)|A Night to Remember]]'')
* [[David Janssen]] (1979) ''[[S.O.S. Titanic]]'' (TV Movie)
* [[Scott Hylands]] (1996) ''[[Titanic (1996 miniseries)|Titanic]]'' (miniseries)
* [[Eric Braeden]] (1997) ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''
* Federico Zambrano (2003) ''[[Ghosts of the Abyss]]''; Documentary
* [[Miles Richardson]] (2012) ''[[Titanic (2012 TV miniseries)|Titanic]]''; TV series/3 episodes)
* Astor was portrayed by his great-grandson Gregory Todd Astor in an April 2012 production of the Broadway musical ''[[Titanic (musical)|Titanic]]''.<ref name=GreatGrandsonPlay>{{cite web|last=Hallenbeck|first=Brent|title=Born to Play the Role|url=http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120202/ENT/120320026/|newspaper=[[The Burlington Free Press]]|date=March 20, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131204042233/http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120202/ENT/120320026/|archive-date=December 4, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* Brittany Daley (2022) ''[[Titanic 666]]''
{{end div col}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Fitch
  | first1 = Tad
  | last2 = Layton
  | first2 = J. Kent
 | last3 =Wormstedt | first3 = Bill
  | year = 2012
  | title = On A Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of the R.M.S. Titanic 
  | publisher = Amberley Books
  | isbn =  978-1848689275
  }}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{wikisource|works=or}}
* {{Gutenberg author |id=671}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=John Jacob Astor|sopt=t}}
* {{cite BDA1906 |wstitle= Astor, John Jacob (soldier) |volume= 1 |page= 157 |short=1}}
* {{Librivox author |id=5100}}
* [http://news.hrvh.org/cgi-bin/newshrvh?a=d&cl=search&d=kingstondaily19120503.2.136 Funeral of Col. Astor] at news.hrvh.org

{{RMS Titanic}}

{{Authority control}}

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