William Kissam Vanderbilt
Encyclopedia
William Kissam Vanderbilt (December 12, 1849 – July 22, 1920) was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family
. He managed railroads and was a horse breeder.
, from whom he inherited $55 million, and grandson of "The Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt
, William Kissam Vanderbilt was for a time active in the management of the family railroads, though not much after 1903. His sons, William Kissam Vanderbilt II
(1878–1944) and Harold Stirling Vanderbilt
(1884–1970), were the last to be active in the railroads, the latter losing a proxy battle for the New York Central Railroad
in the 1950s.
In 1879 after taking over P.T. Barnum's Great Roman Hippodrome which was on railroad property by Madison Square Park he renamed the facility Madison Square Garden
.
Vanderbilt's first wife was Alva Erskine Smith
(1853–1933), whom he married on April 20, 1875. Born in 1853, in Mobile, Alabama
to a merchant father whose extended family owned a small plantation, she was the mother of his children and was instrumental in forcing their daughter Consuelo
(1877–1964) to marry the 9th Duke of Marlborough in 1895. Not long after this, the Vanderbilts divorced and Alva married Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont
.
In 1903, Vanderbilt married Anne Harriman, daughter of banker Oliver Harriman. She was a widow to sportsman Samuel Stevens Sands and to Lewis Morris Rutherfurd, Jr., son of the astronomer Lewis Morris Rutherfurd
. Her second husband died in Switzerland in 1901. She had two sons by her first marriage and two daughters by her second marriage. She had no children by Vanderbilt.
After the death of his brother, Cornelius Vanderbilt II
, in 1899, Vanderbilt was generally regarded as head of the Vanderbilt family
.
Like other Vanderbilts, he built magnificent houses
. His homes included Idle Hour (1900) on Long Island
and Marble House
(1892), designed by Richard Morris Hunt
, in Newport, Rhode Island
. Hunt also designed Vanderbilt's 660 Fifth Avenue mansion (1883).
Vanderbilt was a co-owner of the yacht Defender
, which won the 1895 America's Cup
. Vanderbilt was a founder and president of the New Theatre
.
. He was a shareholder and president of the Sheepshead Bay Race Track
in Brooklyn, New York and the owner of a successful racing stable.
In 1896, he built the American Horse Exchange at 50th Street (Manhattan)
and Broadway. In 1911 he leased it (and eventually sold it to) the Shubert Organization who then transformed it into the Winter Garden Theatre
.
After his divorce from Alva, he moved to France
where he built a château
and established the Haras du Quesnay
horse racing
stable
and breeding
farm near Deauville
in France's famous horse region of Lower Normandy. Among the horses he owned was the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
filly
Maskette
, purchased from Castleton Farm
in Lexington, Kentucky
for broodmare services at his French breeding farm.
Vanderbilt's horses won a number of important races in France including:
William Kissam Vanderbilt died in Paris, France on July 22, 1920. His remains were brought home and interred in the Vanderbilt family vault in the Moravian Cemetery in New Dorp, Staten Island
, New York.
Vanderbilt family
The Vanderbilt family is an American family of Dutch origin prominent during the Gilded Age. It started off with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthropy...
. He managed railroads and was a horse breeder.
Biography
The second son of William Henry VanderbiltWilliam Henry Vanderbilt
William Henry Vanderbilt I was an American businessman and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family.-Childhood:William Vanderbilt was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1821...
, from whom he inherited $55 million, and grandson of "The Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt , also known by the sobriquet Commodore, was an American entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads. He was also the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family and one of the richest Americans in history...
, William Kissam Vanderbilt was for a time active in the management of the family railroads, though not much after 1903. His sons, William Kissam Vanderbilt II
William Kissam Vanderbilt II
William Kissam Vanderbilt II was a motor racing enthusiast and yachtsman and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.-Biography:...
(1878–1944) and Harold Stirling Vanderbilt
Harold Stirling Vanderbilt
Harold Stirling Vanderbilt was an American railroad executive, a champion yachtsman, a champion bridge player and a member of the Vanderbilt family.-Background:...
(1884–1970), were the last to be active in the railroads, the latter losing a proxy battle for the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
in the 1950s.
In 1879 after taking over P.T. Barnum's Great Roman Hippodrome which was on railroad property by Madison Square Park he renamed the facility Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
.
Vanderbilt's first wife was Alva Erskine Smith
Alva Belmont
Alva Erskine Belmont , née Alva Erskine Smith, also called Alva Vanderbilt from 1875 to 1896, was a prominent multi-millionaire American socialite and a major figure in the women's suffrage movement...
(1853–1933), whom he married on April 20, 1875. Born in 1853, in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
to a merchant father whose extended family owned a small plantation, she was the mother of his children and was instrumental in forcing their daughter Consuelo
Consuelo Vanderbilt
Consuelo Balsan , was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family...
(1877–1964) to marry the 9th Duke of Marlborough in 1895. Not long after this, the Vanderbilts divorced and Alva married Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont
Oliver Belmont
Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont was an American socialite and United States Representative from New York.- Biography :...
.
In 1903, Vanderbilt married Anne Harriman, daughter of banker Oliver Harriman. She was a widow to sportsman Samuel Stevens Sands and to Lewis Morris Rutherfurd, Jr., son of the astronomer Lewis Morris Rutherfurd
Lewis Morris Rutherfurd
Lewis Morris Rutherfurd was an American lawyer and astronomer, and a pioneering astrophotographer.- Life and work :...
. Her second husband died in Switzerland in 1901. She had two sons by her first marriage and two daughters by her second marriage. She had no children by Vanderbilt.
After the death of his brother, Cornelius Vanderbilt II
Cornelius Vanderbilt II
Cornelius Vanderbilt II was an American socialite, heir, businessman, and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family....
, in 1899, Vanderbilt was generally regarded as head of the Vanderbilt family
Vanderbilt family
The Vanderbilt family is an American family of Dutch origin prominent during the Gilded Age. It started off with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthropy...
.
Vanderbilt houses
From the late 1870s to the 1920s, the Vanderbilt family employed America's best Beaux-Arts architects and decorators to build an unequalled string of New York townhouses and East Coast palaces in the United States. Many of the Vanderbilt houses are now National Historic Landmarks...
. His homes included Idle Hour (1900) on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and Marble House
Marble House
Marble House is one of the Gilded Age mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, now open to the public as a museum. It was designed by the architect Richard Morris Hunt, and said to be inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles . Grounds were designed by noted landscape architect Ernest W...
(1892), designed by Richard Morris Hunt
Richard Morris Hunt
Richard Morris Hunt was an American architect of the nineteenth century and a preeminent figure in the history of American architecture...
, in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
. Hunt also designed Vanderbilt's 660 Fifth Avenue mansion (1883).
Vanderbilt was a co-owner of the yacht Defender
Defender (yacht)
Defender was the 1895 America's Cup defender.-Design:Defender was designed by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff and built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in 1895. It was Herreshoff's second victorious America's Cup defender design....
, which won the 1895 America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
. Vanderbilt was a founder and president of the New Theatre
Century Theatre
The Century Theatre, originally the New Theatre, was a theater located at 62nd Street and Central Park West in New York City. Opened on November 6, 1909, it was noted for its fine architecture but due to poor acoustics and an inconvenient location it was financially unsuccessful...
.
Thoroughbred horse racing
Vanderbilt was one of the founders of The Jockey ClubThe Jockey Club
The Jockey Club, formed on February 9, 1894, is the keeper of The American Stud Book. It came into existence after James R. Keene spearheaded a drive in support of racehorse trainers who had complained about the Board of Control that governed racing in New York State.-History:On its formation, The...
. He was a shareholder and president of the Sheepshead Bay Race Track
Sheepshead Bay Race Track
Sheepshead Bay Race Track was an American Thoroughbred horse racing facility built on the site of the Coney Island Jockey Club at Sheepshead Bay, New York...
in Brooklyn, New York and the owner of a successful racing stable.
In 1896, he built the American Horse Exchange at 50th Street (Manhattan)
50th Street (Manhattan)
50th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The street runs eastbound from 12th Avenue, across the full width of the island, ending at Beekman Place and carries the M50 bus line, which returns on 49th Street...
and Broadway. In 1911 he leased it (and eventually sold it to) the Shubert Organization who then transformed it into the Winter Garden Theatre
Winter Garden Theatre
The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1634 Broadway in midtown Manhattan.-History:The structure was built by William Kissam Vanderbilt in 1896 to be the American Horse Exchange....
.
After his divorce from Alva, he moved to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where he built a château
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
and established the Haras du Quesnay
Haras du Quesnay
Haras du Quesnay, known as "Le Quesnay", is a thoroughbred horse breeding farm in France about four miles outside the city of Deauville on 3 km², established in 1907 by wealthy American sportsman William Kissam Vanderbilt. He sold the property to another American horseman, A. Kingsley Macomber,...
horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
and breeding
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
farm near Deauville
Deauville
Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and...
in France's famous horse region of Lower Normandy. Among the horses he owned was the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The 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...
filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
Maskette
Maskette
Maskette was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse who never lost a race against her own sex.Bred by James R. Keene at his Castleton Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, Maskette was trained by future Hall of Fame inductee James G. Rowe, Sr...
, purchased from Castleton Farm
Castleton Lyons
Castleton Lyons near Lexington, Kentucky, is an American horse racing stable and breeding business best known by the name Castleton Farm....
in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
for broodmare services at his French breeding farm.
Vanderbilt's horses won a number of important races in France including:
- Critérium de Maisons-LaffitteCritérium de Maisons-LaffitteThe Critérium de Maisons-Laffitte is a Group 2 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Maisons-Laffitte over a distance of 1,200 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late October or early November.-History:The event was established in...
: Prestige (1905), Northeast (1907), Montrose II (1911) - Critérium de Saint-CloudCritérium de Saint-CloudThe Critérium de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in November....
: Illinois II (1901), Marigold (1902) - Grand CritériumPrix Jean-Luc LagardèreThe Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.It is the oldest and most prestigious race in France...
: Prestige (1905), Montrose II (1911) - Grand Prix de DeauvilleGrand Prix de DeauvilleThe Grand Prix de Deauville is a Group 2 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 2,500 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:The race was first run on August 6, 1866, and it was...
: Turenne (1904), MaintenonMaintenon (horse)Maintenon was a French Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by Gaston Dreyfus at his Haras du Perray in Les Bréviaires, Yvelines...
(1906) - Grand Prix de ParisGrand Prix de ParisThe Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
: Northeast (1908), Brumelli (1917) - Grand Prix de Saint-CloudGrand Prix de Saint-CloudThe Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June.-History:...
: Maintenon (1906), Sea Sick (1908), Oversight (1910) - Poule d'Essai des PoulainsPoule d'Essai des PoulainsThe Poule d'Essai des Poulains, sometimes referred to as the French 2,000 Guineas, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts...
: McKinley (1919) - Prix de GuichePrix de GuicheThe Prix de Guiche is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,800 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.-History:...
: Negofol (1909), McKinley (1919) - Prix de la ForêtPrix de la ForêtThe Prix de la Forêt is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.-History:The race was established in 1858,...
: Prestige (1905), Montrose II (1911, dead-heat), Pétulance (1911, dead-heat) - Prix du Jockey ClubPrix du Jockey ClubThe Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
: Maintenon (1906), Sea Sick (1908), Negofol (1909), Tchad (1919) - Prix Eugène AdamPrix Eugène AdamThe Prix Eugène Adam is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Maisons-Laffitte over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
: Alpha (1903), Maintenon (1906) - Prix BoiardPrix ExburyThe Prix Exbury is a Group 3 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in March.-History:...
: Prestige (1906), Maintenon (1907) et Tchad (1920) - Prix Jean PratPrix Jean PratThe Prix Jean Prat is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early July.-History:...
: Prestige (1906) - Prix KergorlayPrix KergorlayThe Prix Kergorlay is a Group 2 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 3,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:...
: Turenne (1904), Maintenon (1906), Sea Sick (1909, 1910) - Prix Lagrange: Prestige (1906)
- Prix MornyPrix MornyThe Prix Morny is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,200 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:...
: Prestige (1905), Messidor III (1909) et Manfred (1910) - Prix Robert PapinPrix Robert PapinThe Prix Robert Papin is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Maisons-Laffitte over a distance of 1,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
: Prestige (1905), Montrose II (1911), Gloster (1912) - Prix La RochettePrix 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:...
: Schuyler (1907), Manfred (1910), Brume (1910), Pétulance (1911) - Prix Royal-OakPrix Royal-OakThe Prix Royal-Oak is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 3,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late October.-History:The event was established in 1861, and it was initially...
: Maintenon (1906), Reinhart (1910)
William Kissam Vanderbilt died in Paris, France on July 22, 1920. His remains were brought home and interred in the Vanderbilt family vault in the Moravian Cemetery in New Dorp, Staten Island
New Dorp, Staten Island
New Dorp – an anglicization of Nieuwe Dorp, Dutch for New Village – is a neighborhood in Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, United States. The community lies near the foot of Todt Hill, with Grant City immediately to its north, Oakwood bordering to the south, and...
, New York.