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Mercedes Bass

Mercedes Bass (nee Tavakoli, born 1944) is an Iranian-American philanthropist and socialite active in New York City, Aspen, Colorado and Fort Worth, Texas. She has supported the Metropolitan Opera, and is a trustee of the Aspen Institute and the American Academy in Rome.

Mercedes Bass
Born
Mercedes Tavakoli

(1944-04-10) April 10, 1944 (age 79)
Tehran, Iran
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Philanthropist, socialite
Political partyRepublican
Board member ofCarnegie Hall Corporation, Aspen Institute, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera, American Academy in Rome
Spouses
(m. 1972, divorced)
(m. 1988; div. 2011)
Parent(s)Abolhassan Diba (step-father)
Sorure Tavacoli-Diba (mother)
RelativesFarah Pahlavi (step-cousin) Mohammad Mosaddegh (step-uncle)

Early life edit

Mercedes Tavacoli Diba was born in Tehran, Iran in 1944 to an upper-class family.[1] She was educated in England.[where?][2] She received a bachelor's degree in business from a Swiss university.[where?] Her father died when she was young. Her mother Sorure Tavacoli subsequently married Abolhassan Diba, Iran’s former Deputy Finance Minister. He was the son of Fazlollah Diba (an aide to Crown Prince Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar) and Princess Malektadj Firuz (great-granddaughter of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, second Qajar Shah of Persia). She is a step-cousin of Farah Pahlavi, former Empress of Iran. Her step-father was also the half-brother of former Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.[3]

Philanthropy edit

She serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of the Carnegie Hall Corporation as well as Managing Director of the Board of Trustees and Executive Board of the Metropolitan Opera, both based in New York City.[2][4] In 2008, she appeared as an extra at the Met.[5] In 2006 she donated $25 million to the Metropolitan Opera, and the Mercedes T Bass Grand Tier was subsequently named in her honour.[6]

She serves on the Advisory Board of the Aspen Music School and on the Board of Trustees of the Aspen Institute, both based in Aspen, Colorado.[2][7] She has also served as Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and member of the Board of Directors of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Association in Fort Worth, Texas, where she has been a donor.[2][8] Currently, she serves as this orchestra's Chairman of the Board.[9]

She serves as Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and member of the Board of Trustees of the American Academy in Rome in Rome, Italy.[2] In 2013, she chaired the gala of the Rome Prize.[10]

In 2012, she was a donor to Rick Perry's presidential campaign.[11] In 2014, she was the underwriter of the Oscar de la Renta exhibition at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.[12] She was also a donor to the Republican National Committee and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.[13]

Personal life edit

She came to America as a friend and protégé of automotive heir Henry Buhl. Her first husband, Ambassador Francis L. Kellogg, served as a Special Assistant to Secretaries of State William P. Rogers and Henry Kissinger. He was not related to the Kellogg cereal family.[1] They met while she was working as an executive assistant to a UN official. They married in Geneva, Switzerland, on October 12, 1972. The Mayor of Geneva performed the ceremony. Former Iranian Foreign Minister Ardeshir Zahedi was Kellogg's best man and the Shah's personal emissary at the ceremony.[14] They lived in an apartment at 775 Park Avenue and maintained an estate in Bedford, New York.

In June 1986, at the 'Black and White Ball' hosted by the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace, she first met Texas billionaire Sid Bass. They met again at a Bastille Day party in the Hamptons several weeks later where she caught his attention by throwing a bread roll in his direction. In September 1986 their relationship became public when socialite São Schlumberger saw them walking hand-in-hand at the Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris. She divorced Kellogg and married Sid Bass on December 10, 1988 at New York's Plaza Hotel.[1]

In January 1990 they purchased four adjacent properties on Fort Worth's Crestline Road, overlooking the Trinity River valley. Two houses were combined into one large mansion, a third was razed after representatives of charitable causes pried loose all salvageable paneling and plumbing from the premises, and the fourth property was transported across town to the grounds of the Lena Pope Home for Troubled Children. When she discovered that the house across the street could see over the fence into their house, she had Sid buy that house too. It was transported to his brother's ranch.

They divorced in 2011.[1][15] Following the divorce, their 26-acre Fort Worth estate 'Oak Hill' on Crestline Road, their Aspen home, and New York residence at 845 Fifth Avenue were all transferred to her.[16][17]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Eric Wilson, An ’80s Scandal Comes to a Quiet End, The New York Times, October 14, 2011
  2. ^ a b c d e "Mercedes Bass - The Aspen Institute".
  3. ^ LLC, New York Media (20 October 1986). "New York Magazine". New York Media, LLC – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "Mercedes T. Bass: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg". investing.businessweek.com.[dead link]
  5. ^ Haven Thompson, Mercedes at the Met, W, April 2008
  6. ^ SBAdventures (23 April 2011). "mercedes_dedication.AVI" – via YouTube.
  7. ^ Brent Gardner-Smith, Aspen and the Forbes 400 list, Aspen Daily News, September 28, 2007
  8. ^ Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra forms ‘artistic partnership’ with Cliburn winner Kholodenko, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, February 20, 2014
  9. ^ "Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra ::: Board". www.fwsymphony.org.
  10. ^ Amanda Gordon, Scene Last Night: Bass Fetes Rome Muse; Tory Burch, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, April 19, 2013
  11. ^ Anna M.Tinsley, Texas donors pour $61 million into election, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, November 4, 2012
  12. ^ Christina Geyer, Bush Presidential Center displays Oscar de la Renta originals, The Dallas Morning News, July 18, 2014
  13. ^ Fort Worth Star-Telegram
  14. ^ "Cream of the Crop (October 14, 1972)".
  15. ^ Love, etc.: Sid and Mercedes Bass divorce, The Washington Post, 10/10/2011
  16. ^ "Cover Story: Marriage with a Midas Touch – Vol. 33 No. 18". 7 May 1990.
  17. ^ New York Magazine. New York Media, LLC. 1986. p. 52.

mercedes, bass, tavakoli, born, 1944, iranian, american, philanthropist, socialite, active, york, city, aspen, colorado, fort, worth, texas, supported, metropolitan, opera, trustee, aspen, institute, american, academy, rome, bornmercedes, tavakoli, 1944, april. Mercedes Bass nee Tavakoli born 1944 is an Iranian American philanthropist and socialite active in New York City Aspen Colorado and Fort Worth Texas She has supported the Metropolitan Opera and is a trustee of the Aspen Institute and the American Academy in Rome Mercedes BassBornMercedes Tavakoli 1944 04 10 April 10 1944 age 79 Tehran IranNationalityAmericanOccupation s Philanthropist socialitePolitical partyRepublicanBoard member ofCarnegie Hall Corporation Aspen Institute Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Metropolitan Opera American Academy in RomeSpousesFrancis L Kellogg m 1972 divorced wbr Sid Bass m 1988 div 2011 wbr Parent s Abolhassan Diba step father Sorure Tavacoli Diba mother RelativesFarah Pahlavi step cousin Mohammad Mosaddegh step uncle Contents 1 Early life 2 Philanthropy 3 Personal life 4 ReferencesEarly life editMercedes Tavacoli Diba was born in Tehran Iran in 1944 to an upper class family 1 She was educated in England where 2 She received a bachelor s degree in business from a Swiss university where Her father died when she was young Her mother Sorure Tavacoli subsequently married Abolhassan Diba Iran s former Deputy Finance Minister He was the son of Fazlollah Diba an aide to Crown Prince Mozaffar ad Din Shah Qajar and Princess Malektadj Firuz great granddaughter of Fath Ali Shah Qajar second Qajar Shah of Persia She is a step cousin of Farah Pahlavi former Empress of Iran Her step father was also the half brother of former Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh 3 Philanthropy editShe serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of the Carnegie Hall Corporation as well as Managing Director of the Board of Trustees and Executive Board of the Metropolitan Opera both based in New York City 2 4 In 2008 she appeared as an extra at the Met 5 In 2006 she donated 25 million to the Metropolitan Opera and the Mercedes T Bass Grand Tier was subsequently named in her honour 6 She serves on the Advisory Board of the Aspen Music School and on the Board of Trustees of the Aspen Institute both based in Aspen Colorado 2 7 She has also served as Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and member of the Board of Directors of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Association in Fort Worth Texas where she has been a donor 2 8 Currently she serves as this orchestra s Chairman of the Board 9 She serves as Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and member of the Board of Trustees of the American Academy in Rome in Rome Italy 2 In 2013 she chaired the gala of the Rome Prize 10 In 2012 she was a donor to Rick Perry s presidential campaign 11 In 2014 she was the underwriter of the Oscar de la Renta exhibition at the George W Bush Presidential Center in Dallas Texas 12 She was also a donor to the Republican National Committee and Donald Trump s 2016 presidential campaign 13 Personal life editShe came to America as a friend and protege of automotive heir Henry Buhl Her first husband Ambassador Francis L Kellogg served as a Special Assistant to Secretaries of State William P Rogers and Henry Kissinger He was not related to the Kellogg cereal family 1 They met while she was working as an executive assistant to a UN official They married in Geneva Switzerland on October 12 1972 The Mayor of Geneva performed the ceremony Former Iranian Foreign Minister Ardeshir Zahedi was Kellogg s best man and the Shah s personal emissary at the ceremony 14 They lived in an apartment at 775 Park Avenue and maintained an estate in Bedford New York In June 1986 at the Black and White Ball hosted by the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace she first met Texas billionaire Sid Bass They met again at a Bastille Day party in the Hamptons several weeks later where she caught his attention by throwing a bread roll in his direction In September 1986 their relationship became public when socialite Sao Schlumberger saw them walking hand in hand at the Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris She divorced Kellogg and married Sid Bass on December 10 1988 at New York s Plaza Hotel 1 In January 1990 they purchased four adjacent properties on Fort Worth s Crestline Road overlooking the Trinity River valley Two houses were combined into one large mansion a third was razed after representatives of charitable causes pried loose all salvageable paneling and plumbing from the premises and the fourth property was transported across town to the grounds of the Lena Pope Home for Troubled Children When she discovered that the house across the street could see over the fence into their house she had Sid buy that house too It was transported to his brother s ranch They divorced in 2011 1 15 Following the divorce their 26 acre Fort Worth estate Oak Hill on Crestline Road their Aspen home and New York residence at 845 Fifth Avenue were all transferred to her 16 17 References edit a b c d Eric Wilson An 80s Scandal Comes to a Quiet End The New York Times October 14 2011 a b c d e Mercedes Bass The Aspen Institute LLC New York Media 20 October 1986 New York Magazine New York Media LLC via Google Books Mercedes T Bass Executive Profile amp Biography Bloomberg investing businessweek com dead link Haven Thompson Mercedes at the Met W April 2008 SBAdventures 23 April 2011 mercedes dedication AVI via YouTube Brent Gardner Smith Aspen and the Forbes 400 list Aspen Daily News September 28 2007 Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra forms artistic partnership with Cliburn winner Kholodenko Fort Worth Star Telegram February 20 2014 Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Board www fwsymphony org Amanda Gordon Scene Last Night Bass Fetes Rome Muse Tory Burch Bloomberg BusinessWeek April 19 2013 Anna M Tinsley Texas donors pour 61 million into election Fort Worth Star Telegram November 4 2012 Christina Geyer Bush Presidential Center displays Oscar de la Renta originals The Dallas Morning News July 18 2014 Fort Worth Star Telegram Cream of the Crop October 14 1972 Love etc Sid and Mercedes Bass divorce The Washington Post 10 10 2011 Cover Story Marriage with a Midas Touch Vol 33 No 18 7 May 1990 New York Magazine New York Media LLC 1986 p 52 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mercedes Bass amp oldid 1180463900, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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