William Waldorf Astor Socialites Information

William Waldorf "Willy" Astor, 1st Viscount Astor (March 31, 1848 – October 18, 1919), was a wealthy American-born attorney, politician, philanthropist, and newspaper publisher. Astor moved with his family to England in 1891, became a British subject in 1899, and was made a peer as Baron Astor in 1916 and Viscount Astor in 1917 for his contributions to war charities. He was a prominent member of the Astor family.

William Waldorf Astor was born in New York City. He was the only child of financier and philanthropist John Jacob Astor III (1822–1890) and Charlotte Augusta Gibbes (1825–1887). He studied in Germany and in Italy under the care of private tutors and a governess. He grew up in a cold and distant household.

In his early adult years, Astor returned to the United States and went to Columbia Law School. He was called to the United States Bar in 1875. He worked for a short time in law practice and in the management of his father's estate of financial and real estate holdings.

Astor married Mary Dahlgren Paul (born 1858, died 22 December 1894) on 6 June 1878. She is buried in Trinity Church Cemetery Manhattan. They had five children:

After some time practicing law, Astor thought he had found his true calling and an opportunity to make a name for himself outside of his family's fortune by entering the political realm. In 1877, with his eyes set on the United States Congress, Astor entered New York City politics as a Republican.

He was elected as a member of the New York State Assembly (New York Co., 11th D.) in 1878; and of the New York State Senate (10th D.) in 1880 and 1881. Astor was likely supported by the boss of the New York State Republican machine, Roscoe Conkling, with whom his family was involved.

In 1881, Astor was defeated by Roswell P. Flower as a candidate for the United States Congress. A second attempt at the seat also resulted in defeat. His shy nature could not handle the political attacks on his character. This was the end of his political career. The press used his political failures as fodder for harsh criticisms.

In 1882, President Chester A. Arthur appointed Astor Minister to Italy, a post he held until 1885. He told Astor, "Go and enjoy yourself, my dear boy." While living in Rome, Astor developed a lifelong passion for art and sculpture.

Upon the death of his father in February 1890, Astor inherited a personal fortune that made him the richest man in America.

In 1890, he initiated construction of the luxurious Waldorf Hotel in New York, being built on the site of his former residence. At 13 stories high it dwarfed his aunts’ house next door which caused family friction. Later her son, and his cousin, Colonel John Jacob "Jack" Astor IV (1864–1912) built the adjoining Astoria Hotel in 1897 on the site of her house, and the complex became the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

After inheriting his father's fortune in 1890, Astor fell into a family feud the following year with his aunt, socialite Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn (1830–1908), wife of his uncle, businessman William Backhouse Astor Jr. (1829–1892) and mother of his cousin Jack, over (among other things) who should be the "official Mrs. Astor" in New York society. After the argument, Astor moved with his wife and children to England. He rented Lansdowne House in London until 1893. That year he purchased a country estate, Cliveden in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, from the Duke of Westminster.

To disappear from public view, in the summer of 1892, Astor faked his own death by having his staff report to American reporters that he had died, apparently from pneumonia. However, the ruse was soon discovered, whereupon Astor was mocked in the press.

In 1895 he built a gothic mansion[nb 1] on London’s Victoria Embankment at Two Temple Place overlooking the River Thames. He commissioned architect John Loughborough Pearson to design a $1.5 million building, a "crenellated Tudor stronghold" which he used as an office for managing his extensive holdings.

Astor made several business acquisitions while living in London. In 1892, he purchased the Pall Mall Gazette, and in 1893 established the Pall Mall Magazine. In 1911 he acquired The Observer a national newspaper. In 1912 he sold the Magazine, and in 1914 made a present of the Gazette and The Observer, with the building in Newton Street and its contents, to his son Waldorf Astor.

In 1903 he acquired the Hever Castle Estate near Edenbridge, Kent, about 30 miles south of London. The estate of over 3,500 acres had at its centre a castle built in 1270 where Anne Boleyn lived as a child. Astor invested a great deal of time and money to restore the castle, building what is known as the "Tudor Village," and creating a lake and lavish gardens. He also added the Italian Garden (including Fernery) to display his collection of statuary and ornaments.

In 1906 he gave his eldest son Waldorf Astor and his new daughter-in-law, Nancy Witcher Langhorne, the Cliveden estate as a wedding present. Nancy Astor (as she became on her marriage) became England’s first female Member of Parliament.

In 1908, building on his success with the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York he financed The Waldorf Hotel in London's West End.

Having become a British subject in 1899 he continued his interest in philanthropy, which he shared with his father. Among the charities benefited by his gifts were The Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street (to which he gave $250,000 in 1903); University College, London (including a gift of £20,000 in 1902 for professorships); the Cancer Research Fund; Oxford University; Cambridge University; the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children; the British Red Cross Society; Gordon Memorial College, Khartoum; the Soldiers and Sailors Families Association; and the Women's Memorial to Queen Victoria. His gifts to the war charities included $125,000 to the Prince of Wales's National Relief Fund; a similar amount to Princess Louise's Officers' Families Fund; $200,000 to the British Red Cross Society; $25,000 to Queen Mary's Employment Committee; and a similar sum to the Lord Mayor's National Bands Fund. He gave $5,000 to King Edward's Hospital Fund annually starting with its founding in 1897.

In recognition of his work for charity, on January 1, 1916, he was offered and accepted a peerage of the United Kingdom under the title of Baron Astor of Hever Castle in the County of Kent. On June 3, 1917, he was elevated to the rank of Viscount as The Viscount Astor. The elevation was controversial; some felt that a rich American had bought his way into the English aristocracy.

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