Robert Wilson Goelet
Born(1880-01-09)January 9, 1880
New York City, U.S.
DiedFebruary 16, 1966 (1966-02-17) (aged 86)
New York City, U.S.
Alma materHarvard University
Spouses
Marie Elise Whelen
​
​
(m. 1904; div. 1914)​
    Donna Fernanda Riabouchinsky
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1919; div. 1924)​
      Roberta Willard
      ​
      ​
      (m. 1925)​
      Children4
      Parent(s)Ogden Goelet
      Mary Wilson Goelet
      RelativesSee Goelet family

      Robert Wilson Goelet (January 9, 1880 – February 6, 1966)[1] was an American social leader, banker, and real estate developer who built Glenmere mansion.[2]

      Early life

      Goelet was born in 1880. He was the son of Mary Wilson Goelet (1855–1929), a leader of New York and Newport society,[3] and Ogden Goelet (1846–1897), a prominent heir and landlord in New York City who was the great-grandson of Peter Goelet, who begat the Goelet wealth by becoming one of the largest landowners in New York, which reportedly was 55 acres "stretching along the East side from Union Square to 48th Street."[1] His only sibling was his older sister, Mary Goelet, who married Henry Innes-Ker, 8th Duke of Roxburghe in 1903.[4][5] Through his sister, he was the maternal uncle of George Innes-Ker, 9th Duke of Roxburghe (1913–1974).[6]

      Through his mother, he was a nephew of Richard Thornton Wilson, Jr., Marshall Orme Wilson, Belle Wilson (the wife of British Ambassador Sir Michael Henry Herbert), and Grace Wilson (the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt III).[7] Through his father, he was a nephew of Robert Goelet,[8] and a first cousin of Robert Walton Goelet.[9]

      Goelet attended Harvard University, graduating in 1902,[10] at which time he received one million dollars (equivalent to approximately $33,823,077 in 2022 dollars)[11] from his father's estate.

      Career

      His parents' New York mansion at 608 Fifth Avenue

      He became "a major force in the development of American railroads, hotels, and real estate," and served as a director of the Chemical Bank in New York,[lower-alpha 1] the New York Trust Company,[10] the City Investing Company, the Fifth Avenue Corporation and the Real Estate Mortgage Commission.[1]

      After his mother's death, acknowledging the change in the neighborhood from residential to commercial, he had the family home, 608 Fifth Avenue (located on the southwest corner of 49th and Fifth) in New York City,[12] tore down and commissioned Victor L.S. Hafner to design 608 Fifth Avenue, which stands to this day.[2]

      In 1947, he attempted to donate Ochre Court, his parents' châteauesque mansion designed by Richard Morris Hunt in Newport that was the second largest mansion in Newport after The Breakers,[13] to the United Nations as their headquarters. They did not accept the donation and instead, Ochre Court was donated to the Sisters of Mercy for the formation of Salve Regina College, the first Catholic women's college in the state of Rhode Island.[10]

      Military service

      During World War I, Goelet was a captain in the infantry in France, first with the 77th Division and later with the 82nd Division. For his service, he received the Silver Star for "gallantry" at the Battle of Meuse-Argonne.[14]

      Personal life

      On June 14, 1904, Goelet was married Marie Elise Whelen (1880–1959)[15] in Philadelphia with Alice Roosevelt as one of her bridesmaids.[16][17] She was the daughter of Henry Whelan Jr., a prominent banker from Philadelphia, and the sister of Laura Whelan, who was married to Craig Biddle (brother of Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle).[18] Before their divorce in 1914[19] (she later remarried to the artist Henry Clews Jr. and moved to the Chateau de la Napoule in France[20]), they were the parents of two sons:[21]

      • Ogden Goelet (1907–1969),[22] who married five times, the first being to Florence Enid Connfelt (1912–1992) in 1933.[23] They divorced in 1938,[24] and later that year, he married Maria Virginia Zimbalist (1915–1981), the daughter of singer Alma Gluck and violinist Efrem Zimbalist.[25] They divorced in March 1941,[26] and in April 1941, he married Mimi Nicholson Browne (1922),[27] whom he also divorced.[28] He later married for the fifth time to Sarah Sherborne Haigh (1908–1989) in 1963,[29] remaining married until his death in 1969.[30]
      • Peter Goelet (1911–1986)[22]

      On October 22, 1919, he remarried to Donna Fernanda (née Rocchi), the Princess Riabouchinsky (1885–1982) at the American Church in Paris. Donna was born in Perugia, Italy and was the former wife of Prince Nicholas Riabouchinsky,[14][31] a close friend of Goelet.[2][32] The marriage reportedly infuriated his mother, who refused to receive his wife, and she cut him off from his share in her personal fortune, closed her New York home, her Newport home, and went to England to live.[33] They eventually won over his mother four years later after the birth of a son,[33] but the couple divorced in 1924 and she was later known as the Duchess de Villarosa. Donna and Robert were the parents of one son:[34]

      • Robert Wilson Goelet, Jr. (1921–1989), a film producer who first married Jane Potter Monroe in 1942.[35] They divorced, and in 1949, he remarried to Lynn Merrick. After their marriage, his mother disinherited him.[36] After a "stormy" marriage, they divorced in 1956.[37]

      On September 24, 1925, he married for the third time to Roberta Willard (1891–1949),[38] the daughter of Col. Joseph Willard of Newport. Roberta had reportedly been voted "the prettiest debutante there in 1916."[39][40] Both of their mothers were ill and could not attend the wedding, with her mother dying a month later,[41] and his mother, a few years later in 1929.[3] Together they were the parents of a daughter:

      The wall pools of Glenmere's southern garden, c. 1920

      Following his donation of Ochre Court in 1947, he purchased a home known as Champ Soleil, designed by Polhemus & Coffin and located at 601 Bellevue Avenue in Newport.[lower-alpha 2] He served on the boards of Bailey's Beach and the Newport Country Club, both of which were co-founded by his uncle, and which he was one of the largest shareholders. In New York, he was a member of the Knickerbocker Club, the Harvard Club, Turf Club, the St. Nicholas Society, the Piping Rock Club, and the Tuxedo Club.[1] He also owned a plantation near Charleston, South Carolina,[27] and was the builder of Glenmere mansion, his estate on the Hudson River built in 1911 and designed by Carrère and Hastings, where he entertained Babe Ruth and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.[2] Glenmere was a 62-room manor house in the style of an Italian villa set on 1,322 acres.[33]

      Goelet died at his home, 4 East 66th Street in New York City, on February 6, 1966.[1] His funeral was held at St. Thomas’s and he was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. He was worth an estimated $50,000,000 (equivalent to approximately $450,974,359 in 2022 dollars)[11] at the time of his death.[1] A month after his death, the Chemical Bank of New York, as executor of his estate, listed his New York apartment, which was the entire sixth floor of the building at the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and East 66th Street, for sale for $240,000 (equivalent to approximately $2,164,677 in 2022 dollars)[11].[46] In October 1966, Goelet's collection of 18th century French furniture, porcelain, and other valuable objects from his New York and Newport homes were auctioned off by Parke-Bernet in New York.[47]

      Descendants

      Through his eldest son Ogden, he was the grandfather of Ogden Goelet Jr. and Enid Goelet (1934–2005), who married Ranald Trask McNeil (1933–2013),[22] a graduate of Columbia University School of Painting and Sculpture who served with the U.S. Air Force in Korea, in 1955.[48]

      References

      Notes
      1. ↑ The Chemical Bank acquired Chase Manhattan Bank in 1996 and became JPMorgan Chase.
      2. ↑ Champ Soleil was completed in 1929 by Lucy Drexel Dahlgren was later owned by Laura Jane Barney.[45]
      Sources
      1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "ROBERT GOELET, FINANCIER, DEAD; Real-Estate Millionaire, 86, Was a Social Leader" (PDF). The New York Times. 7 February 1966. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
      2. 1 2 3 4 Foreman, John (14 November 2012). "Big Old Houses: A Better Fate Than Many". New York Social Diary. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
      3. 1 2 "MRS. OGDEN GOELET DIES OF PNEUMONIA; Duchess of Roxburghe's Mother Long Noted for Her Lavish Entertaining. WAS HOSTESS TO ROYALTY Edward VII, as Prince of Wales, Among Guests--Sister of Mrs. Cornellus Vanderbilt and R.T. Wilson. Her Hospitality. Duchess of Roxburghe Daughter". The New York Times. 24 February 1929. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
      4. ↑ "DUCHESS LEFT FORTUNE; Roxburghe Estate Was Founded by Money of American Heiress". The New York Times. 21 November 1937. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
      5. ↑ Times, Wireless To The New York (27 April 1937). "DOWAGER DUCHESS OF ROXBURGHE DIES; New York Heiress Was a Close Friend of King George V and Queen Mary". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
      6. ↑ Times, Special To The New York (6 January 1954). "DUKE OF ROXBURGHE MARRIES IN LONDON". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
      7. ↑ MacColl, Gail; Wallace, Carol (January 1989). "To Marry an English Lord". ISBN 0894809393.
      8. ↑ Hutto, Richard Jay (2005). The Jekyll Island Club Members. Indigo Custom Publishing. pp. 61–63. ISBN 9780977091225. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      9. ↑ "Robert W. Goelet Dies In Home At 61. Corporation Director, Owner of Large Realty Holdings Here, Succumbs to Heart Attack. He Inherited $60,000,000. Sportsman, a Leader in Social Circles in Newport and New York, Kin of Early Settlers". New York Times. May 3, 1941. Retrieved 2010-07-26. Robert Walton Goelet of New York and Newport, R. I., a member of one of New York's oldest and wealthiest families, died of a heart attack yesterday at his ...
      10. 1 2 3 Bernier, Maria (2008). "Guide to the Goelet Family Papers" (PDF). library.salve.edu. Salve Regina University. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      11. 1 2 3 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved May 28, 2023.
      12. ↑ Miller, Tom (16 April 2012). "The Lost 1884 Ogden Goelet Mansion -- No. 608 Fifth Avenue". Daytonian in Manhattan. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      13. ↑ "Ochre Court". Salve Regina University. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
      14. 1 2 "CAPT. ROBERT GOELET MARRIES IN PARIS Weds Mrs. Fernanda Riabouohinsky, Daughter of Italian Teacher of Painting. BRIDE IS FAMOUS BEAUTY Son of Mrs. Ogden Goelet, 24 Years His Bride's Senior, Served in France—Was Cited for Bravery" (PDF). The New York Times. October 23, 1919. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      15. ↑ "MRS. HENRY CLEWS OF ART MEMORIAL; Sculptor's Widow, Who Created Foundation to Aid U.S.-French Ties, Dead '" (PDF). The New York Times. April 16, 1959. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      16. ↑ Home Journal. 1904. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      17. ↑ "ROBERT GOELET WEDS MISS ELSIE WHELEN Picturesque Ceremony in a Philadelphia Suburb" (PDF). The New York Times. June 15, 1904. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      18. ↑ "ROBERT GOELET TO MARRY. Long-Expected Announcement of His Engagement to Mis Elsie Whelen" (PDF). The New York Times. March 27, 1904. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      19. ↑ "DIVORCES ROBERT GOELET. Final Decree Granted to Wife -Custody of Children Divided" (PDF). The New York Times. October 6, 1914. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      20. ↑ "MRS. ROBERT GOELET WEDS H. CLEWS, JR. Divorcees Are Married in Her Home a Few Hours After Obtaining License. A SURPRISE FOR FRIENDS Bridegroom, Son of Banker, Is an Artist, and Bride Studied Painting in His Newport Studio" (PDF). The New York Times. December 20, 1914. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      21. ↑ "GOELET DIVORCE UP TO-DAY. Petitions of Mrs. Robert Goelet and Mrs. Amos T. French Similar" (PDF). The New York Times. March 3, 1914. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      22. 1 2 3 "OGDEN GOELET, SON OF FINANCIER HERE; Heir to Real Estate Holdings Dies in His 62d Year" (PDF). The New York Times. 10 October 1969. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
      23. ↑ "ENID CONNFELT WED TO OGDEN GOELET; Bishop Stires and Rev. Richard D. Pope Officiate at Church of Advent, Westbury. MARIAN GRAY HONOR MAID Best Man Is Henry Lewis 3d -- Reception Follows at Brookfield Home of Bride's Parents" (PDF). The New York Times. September 22, 1933. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      24. ↑ "MRS. OGDEN GOELET GETS RENO DECREE; Former Enid Connfelt Wins Divorce on Ground of Desertion in January, 1937" (PDF). The New York Times. February 22, 1938. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      25. ↑ "Maria V. Zimbalist, Daughter of Violinist, Is Married to Ogden Goelet in Home Here" (PDF). The New York Times. April 20, 1938. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      26. ↑ "OGDEN GOELET DIVORCED; Former Marie Zimbalist Obtains Decree at Reno" (PDF). The New York Times. March 21, 1941. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      27. 1 2 "MISS MIMI BROWNE Becomes A Bride; Married to Ogden Goelet of This City in the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas | SISTER ONLY ATTENDANT | Couple Go South on Wedding Trip--Bridegroom Member of Distinguished Family" (PDF). The New York Times. April 24, 1941. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      28. ↑ "MRS. GOELET WINS SUIT; Court Quashes Counter-Action of Socially Prominent Husband" (PDF). The New York Times. November 20, 1947. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      29. ↑ "Ogden Goelet to Wed Mrs. Sarah S. Haigh" (PDF). The New York Times. December 31, 1963. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      30. ↑ "Goelet Widow Gets $200,000" (PDF). The New York Times. October 22, 1969. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      31. ↑ "Russian War Buyer Sees Fight to a Finish Nicolas Riabouchinsky of Moscow, Who Brought Valuable Pictures in His Baggage to New York, Expresses Confidence in the Future of His Nation" (PDF). The New York Times. January 9, 1916. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      32. ↑ Rielage, Dale C. (2002). Russian Supply Efforts in America During the First World War. McFarland. p. 51. ISBN 9780786413379. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      33. 1 2 3 Tully, Andrew (1947). Era of Elegance. eNet Press. p. 61. ISBN 9781618867056. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      34. ↑ "SUES ROBERT GOELET FOR PARIS DIVORCE; Princess Riabouchinsky is Second Wife of Husband Whom Elsie Whelen Divorced" (PDF). The New York Times. February 10, 1924. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      35. ↑ "MISS JANE MONROE IS BRIDE IN BOSTON; Married to Robert Goelet Jr. in Lady Chapel of Episcopal Church of the Advent WEARS WHITE LACE GOWN Miss Hope Tuck Serves as Her: Maid of Honor -- Thomas Long !s Best Man" (PDF). The New York Times. March 8, 1942. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      36. ↑ Bergan, Ronald (6 April 2007). "Obituary: Lynn Merrick". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      37. ↑ "Robert Goelet Jr., Film Producer, 68". The New York Times. July 5, 1989. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      38. ↑ "MRS. GOELET, WIFE OF BANKER, IS DEAD; Daughter of Goethals' Aide on Panama Canal Deeded Home in Newport to College" (PDF). The New York Times. July 15, 1949. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      39. ↑ "R. GOELET TO WED ROBERTA WILLARD; Her Mother Announces Her Betrothal at a Dinner Party in Newport. DATE OF WEDDING NOT SET" (PDF). The New York Times. August 30, 1925. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      40. ↑ "MISS WILLARD WED TO ROBERT GOELET; Mothers of Both the Bride and the Bridegroom Are Kept Away by Illness. NUPTIAL PLANS CURTAILED Fewer Than Ten at Ceremony, Which Is in the Willard Home at Newport" (PDF). The New York Times. September 25, 1925. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      41. ↑ "Mrs. Joseph H. Willard" (PDF). The New York Times. November 29, 1925. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      42. ↑ Times, Special To The New York (4 September 1927). "Goelet Infant Is Named Mary". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
      43. ↑ "MARY E. GOELET WED; She Becomes Bride in Newport of James Eliot Cross" (PDF). The New York Times. June 26, 1949. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
      44. ↑ "James Cross, Gulf Stream Commissioner". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
      45. ↑ Kathrens, Michael C. (2009). Newport Villas: The Revival Styles, 1885-1935. W.W. Norton & Co. pp. 66, 328–332. ISBN 9780393732702. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      46. ↑ "Baruch Suite Is Offered for $200,000; THE BARUCH CO-OP AMONG 3 FOR SALE" (PDF). The New York Times. March 27, 1966. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      47. ↑ "GOELET ANTIQUES TO BE AUCTIONED; Parke-Bernet Offers French Furniture of 18th Century" (PDF). The New York Times. October 9, 1966. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
      48. ↑ "R, T. M'NEIL WEDS MISS ENlD GOELET | Couple Married in Chantry of St. Thomas Church--Bride Wears Organza" (PDF). The New York Times. June 25, 1955. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
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