GRACE WILSON.
“There, twenty-two-year-old Neily had danced with Miss Grace Wilson, the charming southern Grace Wilson with her bright hazel eyes, dreamy complexion, and deep auburn hair.” COURTESY OF McGRAW-HILL PUBLISHING CO.
GRACE AND NEILY VANDERBILT.
“it had been ominously quiet at The Breakers, the day Neily and Grace married” COURTESY OF McGRAW-HILL PUBLISHING CO.
THE NORTH STAR.
“Each year, at Grace’s urging, the Vanderbilts sailed the North Star to those ports where they would most likely be seen by royalty.” BROWN BROTHERS
GLORIA AND REGGIE VANDERBILT.
“Gloria appeared to Reggie a statuesque, glamorous beauty, a bewitching blend of European sophistication and wistful American innocence that stirred his imagination. He had no idea that she was younger than his own daughter.” UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
REGGIE VANDERBILT WITH LITTLE GLORIA.
“‘It is fantastic how Vanderbilt she looks!’ Reggie exclaimed in delight” COURTESY OF E. P. DUTTON; IRA L. HILL STUDIO
NURSE KEISLICH AND LITTLE GLORIA.
“Nurse Keislich had no doubt about what her job demanded: ‘Watch her, guard her—every move she makes—her money, her life!’ She hovered over her charge like a mother hen.” COURTESY OF NEW YORK NEWS, INC.
GERTRUDE VANDERBILT WHITNEY AND LITTLE GLORIA.
“Little Gloria arrived at the courthouse in Gertrude Whitney’s Rolls-Royce, accompanied by two bodyguards. They moved through the crowds of photographers, reporters, and the curious.” COURTESY OF NEW YORK NEWS, INC.
FLORHAM.
“Who could afford to live in a 110-room mansion on a l70Q0-acre estate that required a staff of over 100 to maintain?” SOTHEBY’S
THE GREAT HALL AT FLORHAM.
“While the great hall was awash in organ music, Mrs. Twombly invariably sat in the throne chair directly to the left of the organ.” SOTHEBY’S
MRS. CORNELIUS VANDERBILT III IN THE LIBRARY AT 640 FIFTH AVENUE.
“And there in the midst of this otherworldly setting was Grace Vanderbilt, dressed to the nines, sporting her jeweled bandeau and diamond stomacher. COURTESY OF McGRAW-HILL PUBLISHING CO.; PHOTOGRAPH BY BEATON
FLORENCE VANDERBILT TWOMBLY.
“Longer than any other member of the family, she led exactly the type of life of pomp and splendor the very rich were supposed to lead.” COURTESY OF TICKNOR & FIELDS, A HOUGHTON-MIFFLIN COMPANY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In addition to the many librarians and archivists who opened their resources to me at the institutions listed in the manuscript collections section of the Bibliography, I am indebted to a handful of friends who, in various ways, have made this book a reality. In a thirty-page proposal, my agent, Robert Lescher, instantly saw this book and understood at once where I wanted to go; his vision and guidance, in a very real sense, made everything possible. With the patience and goodwill of a saint, Katherine Moore Hickey was there from start to finish, gathering materials, typing successive drafts of the manuscript, offering insightful reactions as a first reader, and suggesting necessary changes as a perceptive critic. I was fortunate to have the research assistance of Peter M. Doiron, who brought to his work great intelligence and the ability to track down, time and again, exactly the documents I needed. Mrs. Leonard J. Panaggio, public relations director of the Preservation Society of Newport County, was ever helpful in responding graciously to endless requests. Josephine Bray of the Chicago Book Mart located scores of out-of-print books. Dr. James V. Griffo, Jr., assistant to the president of Fairleigh Dickinson University, took me on an enthusiastic attic-to-cellar tour of Florham and was the type of guide to another age that historians dream about. And last but certainly not least, it has been wonderful working with all of the professionals at William Morrow and Company: Maria Guarnaschelli, senior editor, whose impeccable touch was essential in shaping the manuscript and bringing the book to publication; Bruce M. Giffords, a copyeditor of meticulous care and clarity; Richard Oriolo, whose good taste is reflected in the jacket and book design; and Susan Halligan, director of advertising and sales promotion/marketing coordinator, and Larry Norton, sales director, the success of whose work is well evidenced by the fact that this book now is in your hands!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ARTHUR T. VANDERBILT II is the author of many books, among them Changing Law, a biography of his grandfather Arthur T. Vanderbilt, which won the American Bar Association’s Scribes Award. He practices law in new Jersey.
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COPYRIGHT
A hardcover edition of this book was published in 1989 by William Morrow.
FORTUNE’S CHILDREN. Coyright © 1989 by Arthur T. Vanderbilt II. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins ebooks.
First Quill edition published 1991.
FIRST WILLIAM MORROW PAPERBACK EDITION PUBLISHED 2013.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Vanderbilt, Arthur T.
Fortune’s Children : the fall of the house of Vanderbilt / Arthur T. Vanderbilt II.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-688-10386-3
1. Vanderbilt family. 2. United States-Biography. 3. Upper classes—United States- Biography. 4. Wealth-United States-History. I. Title.
CT274.V35 1989
973’.08’621—dc20
[B]
89-32421
CIP
ISBN 978-0-06-222406-4
13 14 15 16 17 OV/RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
EPub Edition © APRIL 2013 ISBN: 97800062288370
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