Brooke Astor

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Brooke Astor (born March 30, 1902 in Portsmouth , New Hampshire as Roberta Brooke Russell , † August 13, 2007 in Briarcliff Manor , Westchester County , New York ) was an American philanthropist .

Life

Early years

Astor was the daughter of John Henry Russell, Jr. (1872-1947) and his wife Mabel Cecile Hornby Howard (1879-1967). Her father was an officer in the Marines and went as a major general and 16th Commandant of the US Marine Corps to retire.

She spent her childhood in China , the Dominican Republic and Haiti, among others . She was married three times. At the age of 16 she married J. Dryden Kuser. She later called her marriage to him the "worst years of my life" because Kuser abused her, drank a lot and cheated on her. Their only child, Anthony Dryden (1924-2014), was later adopted by her second husband, the stockbroker Charles Marshall. The marriage with Marshall lasted from 1932 until his death in 1952.

From the Second World War, Brooke Marshall worked as an editor for the magazine House & Garden as well as the well-known New Yorker equipment company Ruby Ross Wood Inc .

Marriage to the Astor dynasty

Astor's grave in Concord, Massachusetts

Her third marriage made Brooke noteworthy social notoriety. In 1953 she married Vincent Astor (1891–1959), the last wealthy member of the Astor family and son of Titanic victim Colonel John Jacob Astor IV .

After Astor's death, she took over the management of his property. He had given it to charity in his will. Though fortunes ran out since 1997, Brooke Astor was still active in New York's welfare and social life.

In 1992, Astor was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . In 1998 she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President Clinton for her services .

Brooke Astor died on 13 August 2007 at the age of 105 years on their estate Holly Hill in Briarcliff Manor, NY at a pneumonia .

Web links

 Wikinews: Brooke Astor, "First Lady of Philanthropy", died at the age of 105  - message
personal data
SURNAME Astor, Brooke
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Russell, Roberta Brooke (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American benefactress
DATE OF BIRTH March 30, 1902
PLACE OF BIRTH Portsmouth , New Hampshire
DATE OF DEATH August 13, 2007
Place of death Briarcliff Manor , Westchester County , New York State