In the end, I conclude that Dick deliberately chose to disinherit his sons in a moment of illness-induced hostility and cruel disdain for them. He never approved of their lifestyles and failed to acknowledge his own responsibility for their shortcomings. Annemarie may or may not have been an influence in his choice, but I do believe both Annemarie and Nancy were always insensitive to Dick’s sons and poorly handled the aftermath of the disinheritance. I remain uncertain about Dick’s death. I suspect Dick’s death by too much oxygen to his brain was an accident that could have been prevented if he had more competent medical attention, much like Smith Reynolds’s death in 1932 was probably a preventable accident. As in the case of Smith’s death, I believe that the secretive, reticent behavior by those who surrounded Dick created even more controversy and suspicion than the situation warranted. I don’t believe Annemarie deliberately caused his death or kept him “drugged and incapacitated,” but I don’t necessarily trust everyone who surrounded her and Dick in the last few years of his life. I believe there is more to the story than has been told. I do believe that Annemarie willingly and without regret accepted her full inheritance, which she has kept and is rumored to have expanded considerably since Dick’s death. I also believe Annemarie knows more than anyone about Dick’s other assets, such as the offshore accounts and buried gold that Dick likely smuggled into Europe. In Switzerland, reporters speculate that Dick’s untaxed and unaccounted-for millions at the time of his death were stored in Swiss numbered accounts and have ballooned into the billions by now.
Annemarie might have been more generous had she been more welcomed into her American husband’s family. The more she was the subject of harassment and suits, the less she probably cared what happened to Dick’s sons and other descendants. Perhaps Annemarie really was the nice, modest German lady who fell into the claws of a rich and troubled American family, or perhaps she was savvier than people realize. Either way, she “got everything” and the damage Dick did to his children by disinheriting them was already done.
Dick’s story can teach the rest of us how money can corrupt a family but it also teaches us how fatherlessness can be even worse. Had Dick reaped the benefits of his own father’s love a while longer, perhaps he would have been a better father to his sons. There is no doubt that Dick had a big-hearted side to him and was loved by many. But Dick ultimately had a choice and he chose his desires, his money, his yachts, his women, and himself over his relationships with the boys. Had he picked a different path and committed himself to his sons’ lives, his descendants would have a very different story to tell today.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
No biography is possible without an armada of people who believe in the project, the subject, and the author. Without the following individuals this book would not be possible.
First, I thank my Aunt Clara Smith for initiating this project, conducting research along the way, and resolutely believing in me as only an aunt could. Thank you to her friend Jeanette Scotton, for sharing Muriel’s wild, entertaining, and moving stories with me. I don’t know if we’ve satisfied the ghost, but I hope it’s a strong start.
My sincerest thanks to my dedicated agent, Farley Chase, for taking on this project with me, and helping me develop the story in its early stages. I do believe you are the most patient agent in the business. Thank you to my acquiring editors, Sarah Sper and Harry Helm, for their keen interest in this story and commitment to the project. My sincerest thanks to Michelle Rapkin, Adlai Yeomans, Whitney Luken, Jody Waldrup, Bob Castillo, Peggy Boelke, and everyone at Center Street. To my editor, Holly Halverson—thank you for your enthusiasm, patience, and skill. You helped me shape this book with speed and grace, and you carried me through to the finish line. I’m forever grateful to you.
At times in everyone’s life, there are certain individuals who are so supportive and steadfast during challenging endeavors, they leave you speechless with gratitude.
When it comes to work, I’ve always been a loner, but those times ended the day Joan Maltese became my friend and colleague. Joan, this book is as much yours as it is mine. You have not only taught me everything I know as a writer, you never say no when I need a hand, you always teach me something new, and you are a terrific friend. Thank you for being my editor, researcher, teacher, philosopher, coach, babysitter, friend… I could go on. I couldn’t have done this without you. Thank you.
To my darling husband, Victor Navarro: No one leaves me more speechless than you. If there were an award for the most patient, loving man on earth, it would go to you. You are my inspiration, my rock, and my best friend. I know there is no one in the world who believes in me the way you do, and when I push myself to accomplish a feat and be successful, I do it because I want to make you proud. I know you mean it when you tell me that I’ve already won. I know it because I have you.
I am forever indebted to you for your graciousness, kindness, and love throughout all of my endeavors, and every day I am stunned by how lucky I am to have your support. So many times, only your strength, wisdom, and optimism kept my fingers to the keyboard. This book would have been impossible without you and I share it with you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Finally, I thank my son, Karl. You shared your first year and a half of life with this book, and you rarely complained. When you flash that bright smile, it’s like a dose of vitamin C each time, and it kept me going on some of my longest days. Thank you for teaching me how to be a good mother to you, and with such patience and forgiveness. I know I’ve said it a thousand times, but I will make up for all those play dates we missed. You’re my little treasure and my good luck charm, and I would do anything for you. This one’s for you.
I also share this book with the following individuals whose assistance, support, and contributions shaped this story in some form since its conception.
I thank Cheryl Adams, Cornelia Walker Bailey, Melynda Bissmeyer, Fam Brownlee, Fred Chase, Brenda Concepcion, Amanda Cothren, Theresa Croll, Liz Deery, Maggie Faircloth-Gersham, Jade Galston, Bootie Goodrich, Yvonne Grosvenor, Matthew Hanson, David Hardy, Thomas Haughton, Susan James, Alison Jordan, Maurice Klapwald, Sarah Lynch, Cristy Maltese, Jeanette Maltese, Ludwig Marek, Elisa Marquez, Clay Marston, Steve Metcalfe, Dawn Milici, Jeff Miller, Mickey Olsen, Gerrie Pitt, Molly Grogan Rawls, Linda Lee Reynolds, Marina Rodriguez, Emily Hart Roth, Henry Schnakenberg, Rachel Schnakenberg, Sarah Scott, Randy Sowell, Leslie Stauffer, Lindsay Sutton, Maura Wogan, and Nadia Yakoob. I’d also like to thank members of the Reynolds family who contributed to this book on the condition of anonymity.
In addition to these individuals, I thank the staff at the Associated Press, Beekman Place Association, Bibliotek of Lucerne, Carvasso’s in London, Central Bibliotek of Zurich, Central Intelligence Agency, Corbis, Dorchester Collection, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Forsyth County Public Library, Fortnum & Mason, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, Fulton County Courthouse, Fulton County Public Library, Georgia Probate Court, Georgia Supreme Court Archives, Getty Images, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, Library of Congress, McIntosh County Courthouse, National Archives—England, Mossiman’s Belfry, National Archives and Records Administration, New York County Courthouse, New York Public Library, Old Bailey Courthouse, Palm Beach Courthouse, Photo Response Studio, Quaglino’s, Reynolda House Museum of American Art, The Ritz London, RJR Tobacco Company, San Diego Law Library, Sapelo Island Tourist Center, Schweizer Illustrierte, SICARS, St. Anna Clinic, Tanglewood Park, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem Visitor Center, Women’s Library at London Metropolitan University, HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs, Zivilstandswesen of Lucerne, Z. Smith Reynolds Airport, Z. Smith Reynolds Library, University of Zurich Library.
SOURCE NOTES
This is a partial list of sources for each section or scene in the story. A complete list of sources can be found in the Bibliography. While some of the dialogue in this book has been created, the facts contained i
n the dialogue are true and accurate.
INTRODUCTION
Ghost of Muriel: Interviews with Jeanette Scotton, March 2005; H. W. Hutchins, personal papers, letters from Muriel M. Reynolds to H. W. Hutchins, courtesy Jeanette Scotton.
Reynolds influence, Winston-Salem: Frank V. Tursi, Winston-Salem: A History (Winston-Salem: John F. Blair, 1994); Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco (New York: Harper Collins, 1990).
1. THE PATRIARCH
Reynolds homestead at Critz: Nannie Tilley, The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1985); Barbara Mayer, Reynolda: A History of an American House (Winston-Salem: John F. Blair, 1997); “Winston-Salem Saddened by Reynolds Shift,” New York Times, February 1, 1987.
A businessman is born: Molly Grogan Rawls, Winston-Salem in Vintage Postcards (Charleston: Arcadia, 2004); Burrough and Helyar, Barbarians at the Gate; Tilley, The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
R.J. at work: Susan E. White, Frank V. Tursi, and Steve McQuilkin, Lost Empire: The Fall of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (Winston-Salem: Winston-Salem Journal, 2000); Catherine Howett, A World of Her Own Making: Katharine Smith Reynolds and the Landscape of Reynolda (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2007); Milton Ready, The Tar Heel State: A History of North Carolina (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2005); Rawls, Winston-Salem in Vintage Postcards; Eric J. Elliot, Winston-Salem’s Historic West End (Charleston: Arcadia, 2004); Michael P. Gleason and Andrew McCutcheon, Sarge Reynolds: In the Time of His Life (Gwynn, VA: Gleason, 1996).
R.J. finds love: Howett, A World of Her Own Making; Tursi, Winston-Salem; Mayer, Reynolda.
2. FAVORITE SON
Dick’s first room: Muriel Reynolds papers; Recollections of family accounts as relayed to Muriel Reynolds by R. J. Reynolds Jr., 1951–1959, courtesy Jeanette Scotton.
Dick’s idyllic early childhood: Tursi, Winston-Salem; Howett, A World of Her Own Making; Mayer, Reynolda.
Richard S. Reynolds: Gleason and McCutcheon, Sarge Reynolds; John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes, American National Biography (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999); Patrick Reynolds and Tom Shachtman, The Gilded Leaf: Triumph, Tragedy, and Tobacco: Three Generations of the R.J. Reynolds Family and Fortune (Boston: Little, Brown, 1989).
RJR Tobacco flourishes: Tilley, The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Elliot, Winston-Salem’s Historic West End; Burrough and Helyar, Barbarians at the Gate; Ready, The Tar Heel State; White et al., Lost Empire; “The Controversial Princess,” Time, April 11, 1960; Howett, A World of Her Own Making.
Dick’s early business ventures: Howett, A World of Her Own Making; Mayer, Reynolda; Muriel Reynolds papers; Bill East, “Young Reynolds’ Newspaper Was Neighborhood Success,” Twin City Sentinel, December 16, 1964.
Katharine builds Reynolda: Mayer, Reynolda; “Reynolda Farm” (Winston-Salem: Twin-City Sentinel, 1917); Howett, A World of Her Own Making.
Dick learns the tobacco trade: Howett, A World of Her Own Making. Muriel Reynolds papers.
Death of a legend: Mayer, Reynolda; Elliot, Winston-Salem’s Historic West End; Tilley, The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Rawls, Winston-Salem in Vintage Postcards.
3. LIFE AFTER R.J.
Katharine mourning, Dick’s schools: Howett, A World of Her Own Making; Rollin Smith, The Reynolda House Aeolian Organ (Winston-Salem: Reynolda House Museum of Art, 1997); Sheila M. Dow, Business Leader Profiles for Students (Florence, KY: Gale Research, 1999); Muriel Reynolds papers; Mayer, Reynolda.
Katharine falls in love: Howett, A World of Her Own Making; Patrick Reynolds and Shachtman, The Gilded Leaf; Muriel Reynolds papers.
Escape to sea: Robert Erwin, “Dick Reynolds,” State Magazine, August 16, 1941; Muriel Reynolds papers.
Punishing Katharine: Tilley, The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Howett, A World of Her Own Making.
Orphans: Howett, A World of Her Own Making; Mayer, Reynolda; Muriel Reynolds papers.
After Katharine: Howett, A World of Her Own Making; Patrick Reynolds and Shachtman, The Gilded Leaf.
4. CRASHING WITH THE STOCK MARKET
Guardianship, allowances: Patrick Reynolds and Shachtman, The Gilded Leaf; Robert Erwin, “Dick Reynolds,” State Magazine, August 16, 1941.
College Adventures: Muriel Reynolds papers.
The aviator: Z. Smith Reynolds, Log of Aeroplane NR-898W: Experiences, Comments, Impressions of a Flight from England to China (Winston-Salem: Reynolda House Museum of Art/Wake Forest University, 2003); “Golden Isles Begins Feeder Service,” Darien News, November 5, 1959; Robert Erwin; Muriel Reynolds papers; “Curtiss Field Saved as Aviation Centre: Big Airline Planned,” New York Times, August 14, 1927; “Curtiss Service Adds to Airports,” New York Times, January 15, 1929; Patrick Reynolds and Shachtman, The Gilded Leaf; Howett, A World of Her Own Making.
A taste for alcohol: “Seek R. J. Reynolds, Tobacco Man’s Heir, Missing 11 Days,” New York Times, September 27, 1927; “Friend Reluctant to Talk,” New York Times, September 28, 1927; “Reported Seen in Florida,” New York Times, September 28, 1927; “Reynolds Located: Found in St. Louis Restaurant,” Los Angeles Times, September 28, 1927; “Reynolds Is Found in St. Louis Cafe: Surprised at Hunt,” New York Times, September 28, 1927; “Reynolds Explains Hiding,” Los Angeles Times, September 29, 1927; “Reynolds on Way Here After ‘Jaunt,’” New York Times, September 29, 1927; “Seeks Reynolds Award,” New York Times, October 2, 1927; “Reynolds Absent: Friends Unworried,” New York Times, October 3, 1927.
Dick in Paris and London: Muriel Reynolds papers; “R. J. Reynolds Is Sued,” New York Times, March 31, 1933; Robert Erwin, “Dick Reynolds,” State Magazine, August 16, 1941; “Millionaire’s Son Sent to Prison,” Daily Chronicle, August 1, 1929.
Drunken night in London, 1929: Suit, Rex v. Richard Joshua Reynolds–-Manslaughter, 1929, Metropolitan Police 3/330/Old Bailey–London records; “Fatal Motor Accident,” The Times (London), July 24, 1929.
Prison time in Wormwood Scrubs: Suit, Rex v. Richard Joshua Reynolds; “Reynolds on Trial for Manslaughter,” New York Times, July 23, 1929, p. 21; “Reynolds on Witness Stand,” Winston-Salem Journal, July 24, 1929; “Reynolds on Stand in Motor Killing,” New York Times, July 25, 1929, p. 18; “Mistrial Ordered in Reynolds Case,” New York Times, July 26, 1929, p. 6; “Reynolds Retrial Opens,” New York Times, July 27, 1929, p. 5; “Reynolds Case in New Turn,” Winston-Salem Journal, July 30, 1929; “Reynolds Gets 5-Month Term,” Winston-Salem Journal, July 31, 1929; “Millionaire’s Son Sent to Prison,” Daily Chronicle, August 1, 1929; “American Sent to Prison,” The Times (London), August 1, 1929; “Reynolds Guilty; Gets Five Months,” New York Times, August 1, 1929, p. 2; “Drunkenness,” Time, August 12, 1929.
Release and escape: “To Sue for $1,300,000 for Airplane Crash,” New York Times, August 21, 1929; “Air Crash Suits Shifted,” New York Times, October 19, 1929; “Miss Mary Reynolds Wed,” New York Times, December 17, 1929; Howett, A World of Her Own Making; Mayer, Reynolda.
5. TRAGEDY AT REYNOLDA
The Harpoon: Robert Erwin, “Dick Reynolds,” State Magazine, August 16, 1941; Muriel Reynolds papers.
Slain brother: “Reynolds Inquiry Awaits Brother,” New York Times, July 15, 1932; Robert Erwin, “Dick Reynolds,” State Magazine, August 16, 1941; Muriel Reynolds papers; “Young Reynolds Arrives Here Following 12,000 Mile Trip from Africa,” Winston-Salem Journal, August 24, 1932.
Maddening journey home: “Reynolds Brother Leaves Brazil,” New York Times, August 6, 1932; “Reynolds Will Fly to Miami,” New York Times, August 16, 1932; “Expect Holman Trial to Be Held in 6 Weeks,” New York Times, August 16, 1932; “Reynolds Reported Near Home,” Los Angeles Times, August 21, 1932; “R. J. Reynolds Jr. Arrives,” New York Times, August 22, 1932; “Brazil Revolt Gains Ground,” Los Angeles Times, August 25, 1932; “Young Reynolds Arrives Here Following 12,000 Mile Trip from Africa,” Winston-Salem Journal, August 24, 1932.
Smith’s tumultuous
life: Z. Smith Reynolds, Log of Aeroplane NR-898W; Emily Herring Wilson, For the People of North Carolina: The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation at Half-Century, 1936–1986 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1988); Howett, A World of Her Own Making; Hamilton Darby Perry, Libby Holman: Body and Soul (Boston: Little, Brown, 1983); “Reynolds vs. Reynolds,” Time, January 23, 1933; Tursi, Winston-Salem; “Couple Wedded November 29,” Twin-City Sentinel, 1932.
A party and a gun: Wilson, For the People of North Carolina; Jon Bradshaw, Dreams That Money Can Buy: The Tragic Life of Libby Holman (New York: William Morrow, 1985); Francis H. Casstevens, Death in North Carolina’s Piedmont: Tales of Murder, Suicide and Causes Unknown (Charleston: History Press, 2006); “R. J. Reynolds Heir Commits Suicide,” New York Times, July 7, 1932; “Widow’s Parents Mystified,” New York Times, July 7, 1932.
The questions begin: Bradshaw, Dreams That Money Can Buy; Casstevens, Death in North Carolina’s Piedmont; Perry, Libby Holman; “Reynolds a Suicide, His Guardian Holds,” New York Times, July 8, 1932; “Reynolds Case Has a New Turn,” Los Angeles Times, July 11, 1932; “To Fingerprint Guests,” New York Times, July 11, 1932; “Sheriff Continuing Reynolds Inquiry,” New York Times, July 13, 1932; “Reynolds Inquiry Awaits Brother,” New York Times, July 15, 1932; “Finds New Evidence in Reynolds Death,” New York Times, August 11, 1929; “Widow Believed at Former Retreat,” New York Times, August 11, 1929; “Reynolds Trial Oct. 3 Expected by Defense,” New York Times, August 21, 1932; “Dick Reynolds Thinks Smith Was Murdered,” Florence Morning News, August 25, 1932; “Brother Thinks Young Reynolds Was Murdered,” Los Angeles Times, August 25, 1932; “Reynolds Desires to See ‘Justice’ Done Regarding Tragic Death of Brother,” Winston-Salem Journal, August 25, 1932; “Dick Reynolds Is in Winston-Salem,” The Landmark, August 26, 1932; “Midnight Autopsy Made on Reynolds,” New York Times, September 2, 1932; “Reynolds Case Inquiry Revived,” New York Times, September 2, 1932; “Libby Holman Reynolds Asks Full Exoneration,” New York Times, October 20, 1932; “Libby Holman Asks Trial to Clear Her,” New York Times, October 20, 1932.
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