Lillian Stokes Bostwick Phipps(July 9, 1906 – November 27, 1987) was an Americansocialiteand owner ofThoroughbredsteeplechaseracehorses.
Lillian Phipps | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lillian Stokes Bostwick July 9, 1906 |
| Died | November 27, 1987 (aged 81) |
| Occupation(s) | Businesswoman, racehorse owner/breeder |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Mary Maude McKim Lillian Lee McKim Florence Fitch McKim Ogden Mills Phipps Cynthia Phipps |
| Parent(s) | Mary Stokes Albert Carlton Bostwick |
| Relatives | Dorothy Stokes Bostwick(sister) Jabez A. Bostwick(grandfather) |
Early life
editLillian Stokes Bostwick was born inNew York City,the daughter of Mary Stokes andAlbert Carlton Bostwick(1876-1911), her wealthy grandfather,Jabez A. Bostwick(1830–1892), was one ofJohn D. Rockefeller'sfounding partners in theStandard Oil Company.
Lillian Bostwick was raised in aFifth Avenuemansion inNew York Cityand as a young woman was listed in the 1930 New YorkSocial Blue Book.[1]Her father was a horseman andpoloplayer whose influence on her and brothersGeorge Herbert Bostwick,DunbarandAlbert Jr.led to them becoming involved with the sport ofhorse racing.In 1942, her only sister,Dorothy(1899-2001), became the first American woman to hold ahelicopterpilot's license.
Career
editIn the 1930s, Lillian Bostwick and brothers Pete and Dunbar built and operated Bostwick Field inOld Westbury, New Yorkwhere they hosted international polo matches.
While her husband successfully invested in Thoroughbred horses forflat racing,Lillian Bostwick Phipps purchased and raced a number ofsteeplechaseracers. She ownedNejiandOedipus,two very prominent horses that were votedAmerican Steepchase Championssix times in all, and who were both inducted into theU.S. Racing Hall of Fame.Mrs. Phipps won theAmerican Grand Nationaleight times with Oedipus (1951), Neji (1955, 1957, 1958), Mako (1965), Top Bid (1973), Straight and True (1976), and Le Ronceray (1987).
Personal life
editIn 1928, Lillian married Robert V. McKim ofAiken, South Carolina,at theChurch of the Transfiguration.Before their divorce in September 1937, the couple had three daughters:[2]
- Mary Maude McKim
- Lillian Lee McKim(1931–2013), the fashion designer better known asLilly Pulitzer,who was married to Herbert Pulitzer, and later, Enrique Rousseau.[3]
- Florence Fitch McKim, who was married toNelson Doubleday Jr.(1933–2015).[4]
In November 1937, she wedCourt tennischampion andThoroughbredbreeder/ownerOgden Phipps(1908-2002), a member of the prominentPhipps familyand nephew ofOgden L. Mills,the formerUnited States Secretary of the Treasury,atSt. Bartholomew's Church.Ogden and Lillian had two more children:
- Ogden Mills Phipps(1940-2016)
- Cynthia Phipps(1945-2007), who died as a result of injuries sustained in a fire in her Manhattan apartment.
Phipps and her husband maintained residences in New York City, Saratoga Springs, NY, Florida and atSummerville, South Carolinawhere she died in 1987. Lillian was buried in theBostwick Mausoleum,inWoodlawn Cemetery,Bronx, New York.
Philanthropy
editA community benefactor, Lillian Bostwick Phipps served on theBoard of Directorsof theVisiting Nurse Service of New York,theMetropolitan Opera Association,and theSaratoga Performing Arts Centerof which she was also its Chairperson.
Her interior design team ofRobert Denning&Vincent Fourcadefrom the inception of their firm in 1960 had been involved with acquisitions and style in all of their fifteen[5]homes and she has been credited with playing a significant role in launching the team.[6]
References
edit- Notes
- ^http:// bklyn-genealogy-info /Directory/Blue/index.html
- ^Times, Special To The New York (19 September 1937)."R. V. M'KIM OBTAINS A DIVORCE AT RENO; Other Decrees to Mrs. G. E. Du Charme, Mrs. F. B. Alexander and Mrs. L. C. Madeira 3d".The New York Times.Retrieved25 February2017.
- ^Horwell, Veronica (2013-04-10)."Obituary: Lilly Pulitzer".The Guardian.Retrieved2013-04-10.
- ^Times, Special To New York (10 June 1954)."Miss Florence F. McKim Is Affianced; I".The New York Times.Retrieved25 February2017.
- ^"Past Perfect in Paris–A Richly Detailed Apartment for a New York Designer" by Annette Tapert,Architectural Digest,October 1995, v. 52 #10, pp. 168-173
- ^Phipps Sale at Sotheby'sby Wendy Moonan 11 October 2002,New York Times
- Sources
- Case, Carole-The Right Blood: America's Aristocrats in Thoroughbred Racing(2000)Rutgers University PressISBN0-8135-2840-2
- New York Times, 1987 obituary for Lillian Bostwick Phipps