Harry Elkins Widener (January 3, 1885 – April 15, 1912) was an American businessman and bibliophile, and a member of the Widener family. His mother built Harvard University's Widener Memorial Library in his memory, after his death on the foundering of the RMS Titanic.
Along with his parents, in April 1912 Widener boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg, France bound for New York City. As the ship sank Widener's mother and her maid were rescued, but Widener, his father, and his father's valet perished. In 1915, Widener's mother donated the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library to Harvard in his memory. Two buildings at the Hill School are also dedicated to Widener, and stained glass windows at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania are dedicated to Widener and his father.
A Harvard legend holds that in order to spare others her son's fate, Widener's mother insisted (as a condition of her gift) that future Harvard graduates be required to learn to swim. However, while Harvard indeed implemented a swimming test in the 1920s (later dropped), this had nothing to do with Widener.[4]
Book collecting
Widener was a member of the Grolier Club.[5][6] Book collector and dealer George Sidney Hellman, writing soon after Widener's death, commented on
the excellence of his technical knowledge... His enthusiasm as a collector and his winning personality... afforded many opportunities of obtaining treasures whose acquisition cannot be explained alone on the basis of the wealth which he commanded. Had he not perished in the Titanic catastrophe, beyond question... his library would surely have eventually become one of the greatest collections of books in modern times. [He] was not satisfied alone in having a rare book or a rare book inscribed by the author; it was with him a prerequisite that the volume should be in immaculate condition.[7]
Posthumous portrait of Harry Widener by Gabriel Ferrier, 1913
Further reading
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
^"Family tree of Harry Elkins WIDENER". Geneanet. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
^"Hillingdon, 2nd Baron, (Charles William Mills) (26 Jan. 1855–6 April 1919)", Who Was Who, Oxford University Press, 2007-12-01, doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u197890, retrieved 2022-03-16
^ Mann, Elizabeth (December 9, 1993), "The First Abridged Dictionary of Harvard Myths", The Harvard Independent, pp. 10–11
^John Woolf Jordan (1911). Colonial Families of Philadelphia. Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 1500–.
^Grolier Club (1921). Transactions of the Grolier Club. Grolier Club. pp. 179–.
^George S. Hellman (June 2, 1912). "Harvard To Get Harry Widener's Famous Library – Titanic Victim, Though Hardly Out Of College – Acquired A Fine Collection Of Books That He Willed To His Alma Mater – His Grandfather Adds A Memorial Wing To House It" (PDF). The New York Times.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harry Elkins Widener.
harry, elkins, widener, january, 1885, april, 1912, american, businessman, bibliophile, member, widener, family, mother, built, harvard, university, widener, memorial, library, memory, after, death, foundering, titanic, born, 1885, january, 1885philadelphia, p. Harry Elkins Widener January 3 1885 April 15 1912 was an American businessman and bibliophile and a member of the Widener family His mother built Harvard University s Widener Memorial Library in his memory after his death on the foundering of the RMS Titanic Harry Elkins WidenerBorn 1885 01 03 January 3 1885Philadelphia Pennsylvania U S DiedApril 15 1912 1912 04 15 aged 27 Atlantic OceanNationalityAmericanAlma materHarvard University A B 1907 Occupation s Businessman book collectorKnown forNamesake of Harry Elkins Widener Memorial LibrarySignature Contents 1 Biography 2 Book collecting 3 Further reading 4 References 5 External linksBiography Edit Widener s 1908 bookplate 1 Widener Library Letter to a friend We return on April 10th on the maiden voyage of the Titanic Born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania Widener was the son of George Dunton Widener 1861 1912 and Eleanor Elkins Widener and the grandson of entrepreneur Peter A B Widener 1834 1915 He attended The Hill School in Pottstown Pennsylvania and graduated from Harvard College in 1907 where he was a member of Hasty Pudding Theatricals and the Owl Club Widener s godfather was the British banking magnate Charles Mills the 2nd Baron Hillingdon 2 3 Along with his parents in April 1912 Widener boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg France bound for New York City As the ship sank Widener s mother and her maid were rescued but Widener his father and his father s valet perished In 1915 Widener s mother donated the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library to Harvard in his memory Two buildings at the Hill School are also dedicated to Widener and stained glass windows at St Paul s Episcopal Church Elkins Park Pennsylvania are dedicated to Widener and his father A Harvard legend holds that in order to spare others her son s fate Widener s mother insisted as a condition of her gift that future Harvard graduates be required to learn to swim However while Harvard indeed implemented a swimming test in the 1920s later dropped this had nothing to do with Widener 4 Book collecting EditWidener was a member of the Grolier Club 5 6 Book collector and dealer George Sidney Hellman writing soon after Widener s death commented on the excellence of his technical knowl edge His enthusiasm as a collector and his winning person ali ty afforded many opportunities of obtaining treasures whose acquisition cannot be explained alone on the basis of the wealth which he commanded Had he not perished in the Titanic catastrophe beyond question his library would surely have eventually become one of the greatest collec tions of books in modern times He was not satisfied alone in having a rare book or a rare book inscribed by the author it was with him a prerequisite that the volume should be in immaculate condition 7 Posthumous portrait of Harry Widener by Gabriel Ferrier 1913Further reading Edit Wikisource has original text related to this article Harry Elkins Widener Biography of Harry Elkins Widener Encyclopedia Titanica Eaton John P Eaton Haas Charles A 1995 Titanic Triumph and Tragedy 2nd ed W W Newton amp Company ISBN 0 393 03697 9 Henry Elkins Widener Collection Widener Library Harvard University Lord Walter Hibreck Nathaniel 1955 A Night to Remember 2004 Reprint ed Owl Books ISBN 0 8050 7764 2 References Edit Houghton Library Harvard University HEW 2 2 15 Family tree of Harry Elkins WIDENER Geneanet Retrieved 2022 03 16 Hillingdon 2nd Baron Charles William Mills 26 Jan 1855 6 April 1919 Who Was Who Oxford University Press 2007 12 01 doi 10 1093 ww 9780199540884 013 u197890 retrieved 2022 03 16 Mann Elizabeth December 9 1993 The First Abridged Dictionary of Harvard Myths The Harvard Independent pp 10 11 John Woolf Jordan 1911 Colonial Families of Philadelphia Lewis Publishing Company pp 1500 Grolier Club 1921 Transactions of the Grolier Club Grolier Club pp 179 George S Hellman June 2 1912 Harvard To Get Harry Widener s Famous Library Titanic Victim Though Hardly Out Of College Acquired A Fine Collection Of Books That He Willed To His Alma Mater His Grandfather Adds A Memorial Wing To House It PDF The New York Times External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harry Elkins Widener Harry Elkins Widener at Harvard Magazine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Harry Elkins Widener amp oldid 1144422797, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
