John McEntee Bowman
Encyclopedia
John McEntee Bowman was an Canadian-born
businessman and an American
hotelier
and horseman
who was the founding president of Bowman-Biltmore Hotels Corp.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, John Bowman began his American working life in a men's clothing store in Yonkers, New York
but learned the hotel business at New York City
's Holland House Hotel. When the owner died in 1913, Bowman bought his new Biltmore hotel from his estate and built it into a chain of one of the most recognized hotel names in the world. Bowman was responsible for the building of the golfing country club, the Westchester Country Club
in Rye, New York
and counted the New York Biltmore Hotel
in New York City, the Millennium Biltmore Hotel
, in Los Angeles, California
, the Coral Gables Biltmore Hotel
in Coral Gables, Florida
, and the Sevilla-Biltmore Hotel in Havana
, Cuba
as part of his extensive hotel holdings.
A horse lover and Thoroughbred racing
enthusiast, Bowman was president of the United Hunts Racing Association and the National Horse Show, and for a time served as the president of the Havana-American Jockey Club that operated the Oriental Park Racetrack
in Marianao, Cuba
.
John McEntee Bowman died in Manhattan, New York at the age of fifty-six after an operation to remove gallstone
s.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
businessman and an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hotelier
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
and horseman
Horseman
Horseman may refer to:* Horse rider; see Equestrianism* Wrangler , in the United States* Stockman , who works with horses rather than with cattle or sheep* Horseman, a 2003 Croatian film...
who was the founding president of Bowman-Biltmore Hotels Corp.
Biltmore Hotel
Bowman-Biltmore Hotels was a chain created by hotel magnate John McEntee Bowman.The name evokes the Vanderbilt family's Biltmore Estate, whose buildings and gardens within are privately owned historical landmarks and tourist attractions in Asheville, North Carolina, United States. The name has...
Born in Toronto, Ontario, John Bowman began his American working life in a men's clothing store in Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
but learned the hotel business at New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Holland House Hotel. When the owner died in 1913, Bowman bought his new Biltmore hotel from his estate and built it into a chain of one of the most recognized hotel names in the world. Bowman was responsible for the building of the golfing country club, the Westchester Country Club
Westchester Country Club
The Westchester Country Club was founded by John McEntee Bowman, who hired Walter Travis to design two golf courses in the Town of Harrison, New York as a luxury resort hotel. The West Course was designed for championship play and has hosted PGA tournaments since 1963...
in Rye, New York
Rye (city), New York
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
and counted the New York Biltmore Hotel
New York Biltmore Hotel
The New York Biltmore Hotel was a luxury hotel in New York City. It was one of three palatial hotels built as part of the Terminal City development...
in New York City, the Millennium Biltmore Hotel
Millennium Biltmore Hotel
The Millennium Biltmore Hotel, originally named the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel of the Biltmore Hotels group, is a luxury hotel located on Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Upon its grand opening in 1923, the Los Angeles Biltmore was the largest hotel west of Chicago, Illinois in...
, in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, the Coral Gables Biltmore Hotel
Coral Gables Biltmore Hotel
The Coral Gables Biltmore Hotel is a luxury hotel in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. It was designed by Schultze and Weaver and was built in 1926 by John McEntee Bowman and George Merrick as part of the Biltmore hotel chain....
in Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
, and the Sevilla-Biltmore Hotel in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
as part of his extensive hotel holdings.
A horse lover and Thoroughbred racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
enthusiast, Bowman was president of the United Hunts Racing Association and the National Horse Show, and for a time served as the president of the Havana-American Jockey Club that operated the Oriental Park Racetrack
Oriental Park Racetrack
Oriental Park Racetrack in Marianao, Havana, Cuba was a thoroughbred horse racing facility operated during the winter months by the Havana-American Jockey Club of Cuba...
in Marianao, Cuba
Marianao
Marianao is a town and municipality in the province of the city of Havana, Cuba, 6 miles southwest of the original city of Havana, with which it is connected by the Marianao railway. , the municipality had a population of 133,016. Marianao is on a range of hills about 1500 ft. above sea level,...
.
John McEntee Bowman died in Manhattan, New York at the age of fifty-six after an operation to remove gallstone
Gallstone
A gallstone is a crystalline concretion formed within the gallbladder by accretion of bile components. These calculi are formed in the gallbladder, but may pass distally into other parts of the biliary tract such as the cystic duct, common bile duct, pancreatic duct, or the ampulla of...
s.