Joseph Early Widener (August 19, 1871] – October 26, 1943) was a wealthy
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
art collector who was a founding benefactor of the
National Gallery of ArtThe National Gallery of Art is a national art museum, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The museum was established in 1938 by the United States Congress, with funds for construction and a substantial art collection donated by Andrew W. Mellon plus major art works donated by Lessing J...
in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
and a major figure in
Thoroughbred horse racingThoroughbred 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 jump racing...
as head of
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's
Belmont ParkBelmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in the hamlet of Elmont, New York, in Nassau County, Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead...
and builder of
Miami, FloridaMiami is a major coastal city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida. With an estimated population of 424,662 in 2007, Miami is the largest city within the Miami metropolitan area, which is the...
's Hialeah Park racetrack.
Born in Philadelphia, he was the second son of Hannah Josephine Dunton (1836 –1896) and the extremely wealthy entrepreneur Peter A. B. Widener (1834 – 1915). Joseph Widener attended
Harvard UniversityHarvard University is a private university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1636 by the colonial Massachusetts legislature, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and currently comprises ten separate academic units...
and for a short time studied
architectureFor a topical guide to this subject, see Outline of architecture. Architecture is the art and science of designing and constructing buildings and other physical structures for human shelter or use....
at the
University of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and is one of several institutions that claims to have been the first university in America...
. He married Ella Pancoast with whom he had two children, Peter A. B. Widener II born in 1895, and Josephine "Fifi" Pancoast Widener, born in 1902.
Joseph Widener raised his family at
Lynnewood HallLynnewood Hall is a 110-room Georgian-style mansion in Elkins Park, Montgomery County. Considered the largest surviving Gilded Age mansion in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area , it was designed by Horace Trumbauer for industrialist Peter A. B...
in
Elkins Park, PennsylvaniaElkins Park is an unincorporated community, portions of which are located in both Cheltenham Township and Abington Township in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . It is an affluent neighborhood, with predominantly Jewish, Korean, and African-American residents...
. The 110 room
Georgian-styleGeorgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the...
mansion designed by
Horace TrumbauerHorace Trumbauer was a prominent American architect of the Gilded Age, known for designing residential manors for the wealthy. Later in his career he also designed hotels, office buildings, and much of the campus of Duke University...
along with its extensive and important art collection, was part of the huge fortune inherited from his father.
RMSRoyal Mail Ship , usually seen in its abbreviated form RMS, is the ship prefix used for seagoing vessels that carry mail under contract by Royal Mail. They have the right to fly the pennant of the Royal Mail when sailing.The designation has been used since 1840...
Titanic tragedy
In April 1912, Joseph Widener lost his elder brother
George Dunton WidenerGeorge Dunton Widener was an American businessman who died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Born in Philadelphia, he was the eldest son of Hannah Josephine Dunton and the extremely wealthy streetcar magnate Peter A. B. Widener .George D...
and George's son
Harry Elkins WidenerHarry Elkins Widener was a businessman and book collector from the United States. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of George Dunton Widener and Eleanor Elkins Widener, and the grandson of the extremely wealthy entrepreneur, Peter A. B...
when they went down with the
RMS TitanicThe RMS Titanic was an Olympic-class passenger liner owned by British shipping company White Star Line and built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, United Kingdom...
. Mrs. Eleanor Widener was with her husband and was one of the passengers rescued from lifeboats by the
RMS CarpathiaRMS Carpathia was a Cunard Line transatlantic passenger steamship built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson. Carpathia began her maiden voyage in 1903 and became famous for rescuing the survivors of RMS Titanic after she hit an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912...
. Shortly after, Mrs. Widener, in the name of her deceased son, made a gift to Harvard University to build the monumental
Harry Elkins Widener LibraryThe Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, commonly known as Widener Library, is the primary building of the library system of Harvard University. Located on the south side of Harvard Yard directly across from Memorial Church, Widener serves as the centerpiece of the 15.6 million-volume Harvard...
, which opened on June 24, 1915. Not on the ship was their second son,
George D. Widener, Jr.George Dunton Widener, Jr. was an American businessman and Thoroughbred racehorse owner; one of the only five people ever designated "Exemplars of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame....
, who would later be one of only four people in the history of
American Thoroughbred horse racingThoroughbred 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 jump racing...
to be named an "Exemplar of Racing" by the
National Museum of Racing and Hall of FameThe National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
.
Thoroughbred horse racing
Joseph Widener used his great wealth to pursue his interest in Thoroughbred horse racing on a large scale. Not only did he become an owner of a large stable of racehorses, Widener acquired the
Elmendorf FarmElmendorf Farm has been a Kentucky Thoroughbred horse racing fixture in Fayette County, Kentucky since the early 1800s. Once the North Elkhorn Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, many owners and tenants have occupied the splendid spread of blue Kentucky grassland, straight through from the American...
in
Lexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 65th largest in the United States. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and the Belmont Park racetrack in New York, plus he built Hialeah Park racetrack in Miami, Florida.
In 1901, thirty-year-old Joseph Widener began purchasing Thoroughbred horses to compete in both
flat racingFlat racing is a term commonly used to denote a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing over hurdles...
and
steeplechaseThe steeplechase is a form of horse racing and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside...
events. He hired future
U. S Racing Hall of FameThe National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
horse trainerIn horse racing, a trainer is responsible for preparing a horse for races. As such, he or she takes responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
, J. Howard Lewis. For the next four decades they combined to race fourteen
ChampionsThe Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
, two in flat racing and twelve
Steeplechase ChampionsEclipse Award for Outstanding Steeplechase horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. Created in 1971, it is part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to the top horse in steeplechase racing....
. Widener's steeplechase horses won numerous important races including three editions of the American Grand National with Relluf (1914), Arc Light (1929), and
BushrangerBushranger was an American Thoroughbred steeplechase racehorse. Prepared for flat racing, at age two the grandson of Man o' War demonstrated little ability in that venue and as such his owner decided to try him in steeplechase racing. In the hands of future Hall of Fame steeplechase trainer J...
(1936). His steeplechasers
BushrangerBushranger was an American Thoroughbred steeplechase racehorse. Prepared for flat racing, at age two the grandson of Man o' War demonstrated little ability in that venue and as such his owner decided to try him in steeplechase racing. In the hands of future Hall of Fame steeplechase trainer J...
and Fairmount were both elected to the U. S Racing Hall of Fame.
Following the death of
August Belmont, Jr.August Belmont, Jr. was an American financier, the builder of New York's Belmont Park racetrack, and a major owner/breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses.-Early life:...
, Joseph Widener and friends
W. Averell HarrimanWilliam Averell Harriman was an American Democratic Party politician, businessman, and diplomat. He was the son of railroad baron E. H. Harriman. He served as Secretary of Commerce under President Harry S. Truman and later as Governor of New York...
and
George Herbert WalkerGeorge Herbert "Bert" Walker was a wealthy American banker and businessman. His daughter Dorothy married Prescott Bush, making him the grandfather of President George H. W. Bush and the great-grandfather of President George W. Bush.-Biography:Born in St...
, purchased much of Belmont's Thoroughbred breeding stock. For his Elmendorf Farm breeding operation, Widener acquired Belmont's very important
sireA father is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother.-Father-child relationship:The Father-child relationship is the defining factor of the fatherhood role...
Fair PlayFair Play was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was successful on the track, but even more so as a sire.His grandsire was Spendthrift, whose grandsire was the English Triple Crown champion West Australian....
and the broodmare Mahubah, the parents of
Man o' War- Places :* Man-O-War Cay, an island in the Bahamas* Man o' War Boulevard, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.* Man O'War, Dublin, Ireland- Animals :*Portuguese man o' war or Portuguese man of war, a floating marine "jellyfish" armed with many dangerous stinging cells*Man o' War - a champion thoroughbred...
. He also purchased a son of Fair Play named
Chance ShotChance Shot was an American-bred Thoroughbred stallion racehorse. Bred by August Belmont, Jr., he was sired by the great Fair Play, which made him a half brother to Man o' War, out of the French mare Quelle Chance...
who would go on to win the 1927
Belmont StakesThe Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The race is the third and final leg of the Triple Crown, following five weeks after the Kentucky Derby, and three weeks after the Preakness Stakes...
and following the 1929 death of Fair Play would become Elmendorf Farm's leading sire. Widener had a life-size statue of Fair Play erected by his grave at Elmendorf Farm.
As part of the selloff of the August Belmont, Jr. estate, in 1925 Joseph Widener also acquired majority control of
Belmont ParkBelmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in the hamlet of Elmont, New York, in Nassau County, Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead...
in
Elmont, New YorkElmont is a hamlet as well as a bedroom suburb of New York City in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island. Elmont is an unincorporated area of the Town of Hempstead. The population was 33,657 at the 2000 census....
and would serve as the race track's president until 1939 when failing health necessitated his stepping down.
In 1930, he imported the stallion Sickle from
Lord DerbyEdward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC, KGStJ, JP , known as Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to...
in England who came to visit the U.S. that year and was Widener's guest at the 1930
Kentucky DerbyThe Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter miles at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ...
. A son of the very important sire Phalaris, Sickle would produce 45
Graded stakes raceA graded stakes race is a term applied by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
winners and be the
Leading sire in North AmericaThe list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the year...
in 1936 and 1938.
Following Chance Shot's win in the 1927 Belmont Stakes, Widener's racing stable won the race two more times with Hurryoff in 1933 and with a son of Chance Shot in 1934 named
Peace ChancePeace Chance was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1934 Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series....
. He also had five horses compete in the Kentucky Derby with his best finishes a second place earned by Osmand in 1927 and by Brevity in 1936.
Joseph Widener's father had had business interests in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
and like other wealthy elite Americans of that era, maintained a place in fashionable
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In addition to racing horses in the United States, Widener also kept a stable of Thoroughbreds in France. Competing in French
grassGrasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns...
racing, his horses won the 1923 and 1926 editions of the
Prix La RochetteThe Prix La Rochette is a Group 3 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:...
and the 1923, 1924, and 1937 runnings of the
Prix d'AumaleThe Prix d'Aumale is a Group 3 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:...
.
Widener also owned English
HackneyThe Hackney Horse is a recognized breed of horse that was developed in Great Britain. A stud book has been maintained for this breed since 1883 by the Hackney Horse Society, which has its headquarters in Norwich, England. In recent decades, the breeding of the Hackney has been directed toward...
horses who competed at various shows.
Hialeah Park
In 1930, Joseph Widener built a 40,000 square foot mansion in
Palm Beach, FloridaThe Town of Palm Beach is an affluent incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
. where he would spend a good part of most winters. That same year, he purchased a controlling interest in the Miami Jockey Club and in 1931 renovated Hialeah Park. Hailed as one of the most beautiful Thoroughbred
race trackA race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
s in the world, in 1979 Hialeah Park was listed on the United States
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Major races here were the
Widener HandicapThe Widener Handicap at Hialeah Park in Miami, Florida was a Grade I stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses 4-years-old and up. It was run over a distance of 1¼ miles . Initially called the Widener Challenge Cup Handicap, the race was named for Hialeah Park owner Joseph E. Widener...
inaugurated in 1936, and the
Flamingo StakesThe Flamingo Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds held annually in April at the Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida. Run over a distance of nine furlongs, the inaugural race took place in 1926 at the Tampa, Florida racetrack...
, an important stepping stone to the
Kentucky DerbyThe Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter miles at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ...
for 3-year-old horses. Following Widener's death, ownership of the facility changed hands several times and after running into financial difficulties it closed in 2001.
Art collector
Joseph Widener added to the extensive and valuable art collection he had inherited from his father. His collection included a dozen or more works by
RembrandtRembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art history and the most important in Dutch history...
as well as those by
Johannes VermeerJohannes, Jan or Johan Vermeer was a Dutch Baroque painter who specialized in exquisite, domestic interior scenes of middle class life. Vermeer was a moderately successful provincial genre painter in his lifetime...
,
Edouard ManetÉdouard Manet , 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883, was a French painter. One of the first nineteenth century artists to approach modern-life subjects, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism....
, Pierre Auguste Renoir and others. In 1939, Widener made a number of donations from his assorted collections including manuscripts of historical and artistic importance gifted to the Rare Book Department at the
Free Library of PhiladelphiaThe Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:In 1890, George S. Pepper, , at the suggestion of Dr...
. However, his most important philanthropic endeavor was as a founding benefactor of the
National Gallery of ArtThe National Gallery of Art is a national art museum, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The museum was established in 1938 by the United States Congress, with funds for construction and a substantial art collection donated by Andrew W. Mellon plus major art works donated by Lessing J...
in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
. Widener's 1939 donation of a vast collection was announced by
U. S. PresidentThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , the only U.S. President elected to more than two terms, was a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
at the Gallery's opening ceremony. Known as the Widener Collection, the more than 2,000 sculptures, paintings, decorative art, and porcelains went on display in 1942. Joseph Widener's own 1921 portrait by
Augustus JohnAugustus Edwin John OM, RA, was a Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher. For a short time around 1910, he was an important exponent of Post-Impressionism in the United Kingdom....
hangs in the National Gallery of Art.
In poor health for several years, Joseph Early Widener died at his Lynnewood Hall estate in 1943 and was interred in the
Laurel Hill CemeteryLaurel Hill Cemetery, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the second major rural cemetery in the United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998, one of only a few cemeteries to receive the distinction....
in Philadelphia.
External links
- Normandy Farm, Lexington, Kentucky at the National Sporting Library's
The National Sporting Library at 102 The Plains Road in Middleburg, Virginia is an American research center for horse and field sports. Among their activities, they sponsor the Thoroughbred Heritage website , one of the most important sources for Thoroughbred horses and racing on the...
Thoroughbred Heritage website
- Joseph E. Widener, Founding Benefactor of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
- (Joseph E.) Widener Collection at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
- Lewis-Widener manuscript collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia
- Joseph E. Widener's biography of at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.