fbpx
Wikipedia

Winthrop W. Aldrich

December 15, 2023

Winthrop Williams Aldrich GBE (November 2, 1885 – February 25, 1974)[1] was an American banker and financier, scion of a prominent and powerful political family, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

His Excellency
Winthrop W. Aldrich
GBE
Aldrich during World War I
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
In office
February 2, 1953 – February 1, 1957
PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded byWalter S. Gifford
Succeeded byJohn Hay Whitney
Personal details
Born
Winthrop Williams Aldrich

November 2, 1885
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
DiedFebruary 25, 1974 (aged 88)
New York City, U.S.
SpouseHarriet Alexander
Children5
Parents
Relatives
Residence(s)960 Fifth Avenue
Islesboro, Maine
Providence, Rhode Island
Alma materHarvard University
OccupationBanker

Early years edit

Aldrich was born in Rhode Island in 1885, to Rhode Island Senator Nelson W. Aldrich and the former Abigail Pearce Truman Chapman. He attended Harvard University, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1907 and a J.D. degree in 1910. Among his ten siblings was brother Richard S. Aldrich, who served in Congress from 1923 to 1933,[2] and sisters Lucy Aldrich, an art collector, and Abby Aldrich, who became the wife of financer and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr.[3]

Career edit

During the First World War Aldrich had built, at his own expense, the patrol boat USS Herreshoff No. 309 which was leased by Aldrich to the U.S. Navy and patrolled the waters off of Rhode Island from November 15, 1917, to December 31, 1918, when it was returned to Aldrich.[1]

 
Aldrich with Marilyn Monroe, 1957

Aldrich had been commissioned a lieutenant (junior grade) in the Naval Reserve and was called to active duty on April 8, 1917, and was assigned to the Naval Training Station in Newport, Rhode Island. He transferred to the USS Niagara (SP-136) in September and was assigned as the ship's navigator. He was reassigned to the USS New Orleans (CL-22) in June 1918 and served on convoy duty. He was promoted to lieutenant on June 1 of the same year and, after the armistice, was released from active duty in December.[4]

Business career edit

Aldrich served as president and chairman of the board of Chase National Bank from 1930 to 1953. He served as commodore of the New York Yacht Club from 1932 to 1934. In 1946, his nephew David Rockefeller joined Chase National Bank and would later become the chairman. During and after World War II, as president of the British War Relief Society and the National War Fund Inc., he supported relief efforts and financial assistance to the United Kingdom and Europe. For this work he received the King's Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom[5] and in 1947 was invested by King George VI as an honorary Knight Grand Cross of the British Empire (GBE).[1]

U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. edit

On February 2, 1953, he was appointed the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He presented his credentials on February 20, 1953, and remained in London while Winston Churchill was Prime Minister and Queen Elizabeth II was the reigning monarch, until his mission was terminated on February 1, 1957.[6] He belonged to and served on the boards of many charitable organizations.[1]

Personal life edit

 
Portrait of his wife, Harriet Alexander, in 1909 before their marriage, by Joaquín Sorolla.

In 1916, Aldrich was married to Harriet Alexander at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church.[7] Guests at their wedding included "representatives of the Astor, Fish, Harriman, Rockefeller, Crocker, Webb, Rhinelander, Cutting, Vanderbilt, Bacon and other well-known families."[7] Harriet was the eldest daughter of Harriet (née Crocker) Alexander and Charles Beatty Alexander of New York City and Tuxedo Park, New York and the granddaughter of railroad executive Charles Crocker. Her younger sisters were Jannetta and Mary Crocker Alexander,[7] who married Sheldon Whitehouse in 1920.[8] Together, they were the parents of:[1]

  • Mary Aldrich (b. 1921), who married Robert Homans, a lawyer with the San Francisco law firm of Morrison, Holloway, Schuman & Clark.[9]
  • Harriet Aldrich (1922–2014),[10] who married Dr. Edgar A. Bering Jr.[11]
  • Lucy Truman Aldrich, who married David Wetmore Devens, a son Arthur Lithgow Devens III, in 1945.[12] They divorced and she remarried to her first cousin, George Davenport Aldrich,[3] in 1971.[13] After his death, she married lawyer Francis Hooks Burr in 1979.[14]
  • Alexander "Sam" Aldrich (1928–2017),[15] who married Elizabeth Hollins Elliott and, later, Phyllis Williamson and served as the Commissioner of the Office of Parks and Recreation of New York State.[1][16]
  • Elizabeth Brewster "Liberty" Aldrich, who married J. Woodward Redmond in 1946.[17][18]

He was an amateur musician and an artist whose specialty was watercolor seascapes. As a yachtsman he was navigator, under skipper Harold S. Vanderbilt, of the 1930 America's Cup J Class defender Enterprise.[19] He built a 40-room manor on 108 acres in Brookville on Long Island.[20]

Aldrich died at his home, 960 Fifth Avenue in New York City, on February 25, 1974.[1]

Honors edit

In 1947, he was appointed an honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire by King George VI.[19] This entitled him to use the postnominal letters GBE, but not to the prenominal title "Sir" as he was not a British subject.

He was a member of the New York Young Republican Club[21] and the exclusive and prestigious Pilgrims Society.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Lissner, Will (February 26, 1974). "Winthrop Aldrich Dead; Banker and Diplomat, 88". The New York Times. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  2. ^ "ALDRICH, Richard Steere, (1884–1941)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "George D. Aldrich, 61". The New York Times. February 8, 1978. p. 2. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  4. ^ Harvard's Military Record in the World War. Harvard University Press. pg. 28.
  5. ^ Captain H. Taprell Dorling. Ribbons and Medals. p. 130. Published A.H.Baldwin & Sons, London. 1956.
  6. ^ "Winthrop Williams Aldrich (1885–1974)". history.state.gov. Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs United States Department of State. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c "MISS ALEXANDER A BRIDE. Weds Winthrop W. Aldrich in Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church" (PDF). The New York Times. December 8, 1916. p. 9. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  8. ^ "MARY C. ALEXANDER WEDS S. WHITEHOUSE; Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Alexander Married in Fifth Av. Presbyterian Church. THRONG AT THE CEREMONY". The New York Times. October 15, 1920. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  9. ^ "Abigail Homans Is Married". The New York Times. August 28, 1983. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  10. ^ "HARRIET ALDRICH BERING". The Boston Globe. January 29, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  11. ^ "Edgar A. Bering, 77, World War II Doctor". The New York Times. August 17, 1994. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  12. ^ Studio, The New York Times (November 18, 1945). "MISS LUCY ALDRICH MARRIED TO OFFICER; Daughter of Banker Is Bride of 2d Lieut. David Wetmore Devens in Riverside Church WEARS MOTHER'S GOWN Attended by Two of Her Sisters --Bridegroom Served 30 Months in South Pacific". The New York Times. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  13. ^ "Mrs. Lucy Devens Wed To George D. Aldrich". The New York Times. June 20, 1971. p. 57. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  14. ^ "Prominent figure in health care Francis H. Burr, 90". The Harvard Gazette. December 2, 2004. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  15. ^ "Alexander Aldrich March 14, 1928–July 19, 2017". The Saratogian. July 23, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  16. ^ Aldrich, Sam (2008). Dancing with the Queen, Marching with King: The Memoirs of Alexander "Sam" Aldrich. Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-1-4384-3989-1. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  17. ^ "MISS E.B. ALDRICH, J.W. REDMOND WED; MARRIED YESTERDAY" (PDF). The New York Times. December 15, 1946. p. 75. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  18. ^ "Winn Kadick to Be Bride of Winthrop Redmond". The New York Times. September 16, 1973. p. 72. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  19. ^ a b
  20. ^ Brookville homes start at $1M and continue to lure the affluent Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  21. ^ "History".

Further reading edit

  • Winthrop W. Aldrich: Lawyer, Banker, Diplomat by Arthur M. Johnson. 1968. Harvard University.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Winthrop W. Aldrich.
Business positions
Preceded by Chase CEO
1930–1953 		Succeeded by

December 15, 2023
winthrop, aldrich, winthrop, williams, aldrich, november, 1885, february, 1974, american, banker, financier, scion, prominent, powerful, political, family, ambassador, united, kingdom, excellencygbealdrich, during, world, iunited, states, ambassador, united, k. Winthrop Williams Aldrich GBE November 2 1885 February 25 1974 1 was an American banker and financier scion of a prominent and powerful political family and U S Ambassador to the United Kingdom His ExcellencyWinthrop W AldrichGBEAldrich during World War IUnited States Ambassador to the United KingdomIn office February 2 1953 February 1 1957PresidentDwight D EisenhowerPreceded byWalter S GiffordSucceeded byJohn Hay WhitneyPersonal detailsBornWinthrop Williams AldrichNovember 2 1885Providence Rhode Island U S DiedFebruary 25 1974 aged 88 New York City U S SpouseHarriet AlexanderChildren5ParentsNelson W Aldrich Abby Pearce ChapmanRelativesLucy Aldrich sister Abby Aldrich Rockefeller sister Richard S Aldrich brother Residence s 960 Fifth AvenueIslesboro MaineProvidence Rhode IslandAlma materHarvard UniversityOccupationBanker Contents 1 Early years 2 Career 2 1 Business career 2 2 U S Ambassador to the U K 3 Personal life 3 1 Honors 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksEarly years editAldrich was born in Rhode Island in 1885 to Rhode Island Senator Nelson W Aldrich and the former Abigail Pearce Truman Chapman He attended Harvard University receiving a bachelor s degree in 1907 and a J D degree in 1910 Among his ten siblings was brother Richard S Aldrich who served in Congress from 1923 to 1933 2 and sisters Lucy Aldrich an art collector and Abby Aldrich who became the wife of financer and philanthropist John D Rockefeller Jr 3 Career editDuring the First World War Aldrich had built at his own expense the patrol boat USS Herreshoff No 309 which was leased by Aldrich to the U S Navy and patrolled the waters off of Rhode Island from November 15 1917 to December 31 1918 when it was returned to Aldrich 1 nbsp Aldrich with Marilyn Monroe 1957Aldrich had been commissioned a lieutenant junior grade in the Naval Reserve and was called to active duty on April 8 1917 and was assigned to the Naval Training Station in Newport Rhode Island He transferred to the USS Niagara SP 136 in September and was assigned as the ship s navigator He was reassigned to the USS New Orleans CL 22 in June 1918 and served on convoy duty He was promoted to lieutenant on June 1 of the same year and after the armistice was released from active duty in December 4 Business career edit Aldrich served as president and chairman of the board of Chase National Bank from 1930 to 1953 He served as commodore of the New York Yacht Club from 1932 to 1934 In 1946 his nephew David Rockefeller joined Chase National Bank and would later become the chairman During and after World War II as president of the British War Relief Society and the National War Fund Inc he supported relief efforts and financial assistance to the United Kingdom and Europe For this work he received the King s Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom 5 and in 1947 was invested by King George VI as an honorary Knight Grand Cross of the British Empire GBE 1 U S Ambassador to the U K edit On February 2 1953 he was appointed the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom under President Dwight D Eisenhower He presented his credentials on February 20 1953 and remained in London while Winston Churchill was Prime Minister and Queen Elizabeth II was the reigning monarch until his mission was terminated on February 1 1957 6 He belonged to and served on the boards of many charitable organizations 1 Personal life edit nbsp Portrait of his wife Harriet Alexander in 1909 before their marriage by Joaquin Sorolla In 1916 Aldrich was married to Harriet Alexander at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church 7 Guests at their wedding included representatives of the Astor Fish Harriman Rockefeller Crocker Webb Rhinelander Cutting Vanderbilt Bacon and other well known families 7 Harriet was the eldest daughter of Harriet nee Crocker Alexander and Charles Beatty Alexander of New York City and Tuxedo Park New York and the granddaughter of railroad executive Charles Crocker Her younger sisters were Jannetta and Mary Crocker Alexander 7 who married Sheldon Whitehouse in 1920 8 Together they were the parents of 1 Mary Aldrich b 1921 who married Robert Homans a lawyer with the San Francisco law firm of Morrison Holloway Schuman amp Clark 9 Harriet Aldrich 1922 2014 10 who married Dr Edgar A Bering Jr 11 Lucy Truman Aldrich who married David Wetmore Devens a son Arthur Lithgow Devens III in 1945 12 They divorced and she remarried to her first cousin George Davenport Aldrich 3 in 1971 13 After his death she married lawyer Francis Hooks Burr in 1979 14 Alexander Sam Aldrich 1928 2017 15 who married Elizabeth Hollins Elliott and later Phyllis Williamson and served as the Commissioner of the Office of Parks and Recreation of New York State 1 16 Elizabeth Brewster Liberty Aldrich who married J Woodward Redmond in 1946 17 18 He was an amateur musician and an artist whose specialty was watercolor seascapes As a yachtsman he was navigator under skipper Harold S Vanderbilt of the 1930 America s Cup J Class defender Enterprise 19 He built a 40 room manor on 108 acres in Brookville on Long Island 20 Aldrich died at his home 960 Fifth Avenue in New York City on February 25 1974 1 Honors edit In 1947 he was appointed an honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire by King George VI 19 This entitled him to use the postnominal letters GBE but not to the prenominal title Sir as he was not a British subject He was a member of the New York Young Republican Club 21 and the exclusive and prestigious Pilgrims Society References edit a b c d e f g Lissner Will February 26 1974 Winthrop Aldrich Dead Banker and Diplomat 88 The New York Times Retrieved March 19 2019 ALDRICH Richard Steere 1884 1941 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved April 7 2014 a b George D Aldrich 61 The New York Times February 8 1978 p 2 Retrieved March 19 2019 Harvard s Military Record in the World War Harvard University Press pg 28 Captain H Taprell Dorling Ribbons and Medals p 130 Published A H Baldwin amp Sons London 1956 Winthrop Williams Aldrich 1885 1974 history state gov Office of the Historian Bureau of Public Affairs United States Department of State Retrieved March 19 2019 a b c MISS ALEXANDER A BRIDE Weds Winthrop W Aldrich in Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church PDF The New York Times December 8 1916 p 9 Retrieved March 19 2019 MARY C ALEXANDER WEDS S WHITEHOUSE Daughter of Mr and Mrs C B Alexander Married in Fifth Av Presbyterian Church THRONG AT THE CEREMONY The New York Times October 15 1920 Retrieved January 24 2018 Abigail Homans Is Married The New York Times August 28 1983 Retrieved March 19 2019 HARRIET ALDRICH BERING The Boston Globe January 29 2014 Retrieved March 19 2019 Edgar A Bering 77 World War II Doctor The New York Times August 17 1994 Retrieved March 19 2019 Studio The New York Times November 18 1945 MISS LUCY ALDRICH MARRIED TO OFFICER Daughter of Banker Is Bride of 2d Lieut David Wetmore Devens in Riverside Church WEARS MOTHER S GOWN Attended by Two of Her Sisters Bridegroom Served 30 Months in South Pacific The New York Times Retrieved May 31 2023 Mrs Lucy Devens Wed To George D Aldrich The New York Times June 20 1971 p 57 Retrieved March 19 2019 Prominent figure in health care Francis H Burr 90 The Harvard Gazette December 2 2004 Retrieved March 19 2019 Alexander Aldrich March 14 1928 July 19 2017 The Saratogian July 23 2017 Retrieved March 19 2019 Aldrich Sam 2008 Dancing with the Queen Marching with King The Memoirs of Alexander Sam Aldrich Albany N Y State University of New York Press ISBN 978 1 4384 3989 1 Retrieved March 19 2019 MISS E B ALDRICH J W REDMOND WED MARRIED YESTERDAY PDF The New York Times December 15 1946 p 75 Retrieved March 19 2019 Winn Kadick to Be Bride of Winthrop Redmond The New York Times September 16 1973 p 72 Retrieved March 19 2019 a b Time 8 December 1952 Brookville homes start at 1M and continue to lure the affluent Retrieved September 5 2014 History Further reading editWinthrop W Aldrich Lawyer Banker Diplomat by Arthur M Johnson 1968 Harvard University External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Winthrop W Aldrich Winthrop W and Harriet A Aldrich Papers at the Rhode Island Historical Society Winthrop W Aldrich papers at Baker Library Special Collections Harvard Business School Winthrop W Aldrich Collection at Harvard Business School Newspaper clippings about Winthrop W Aldrich in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW Winthrop W Aldrich at Find a GraveBusiness positionsPreceded byAlbert H Wiggin Chase CEO1930 1953 Succeeded byJohn J McCloy Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Winthrop W Aldrich amp oldid 1171955467, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.