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James Gordon Bennett Jr.

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James Gordon Bennett Jr.
Born(1841-05-10)May 10, 1841
New York City,New York,U.S.
DiedMay 14, 1918(1918-05-14)(aged 77)
Beaulieu-sur-Mer,Alpes-Maritimes,France
EducationÉcole polytechnique
OccupationPublisher
Spouse
Baroness de Reuter
​
​
(m.1914⁠–⁠1918)​
Parent(s)James Gordon Bennett Sr.
Henrietta Agnes Crean
RelativesIsaac Bell Jr.(brother-in-law)

James Gordon Bennett Jr.(May 10, 1841 – May 14, 1918) was an American publisher. He was the publisher of theNew York Herald,founded by his father,James Gordon Bennett Sr.(1795–1872), who emigrated from Scotland. He was generally known as Gordon Bennett to distinguish him from his father. Among his many sports-related accomplishments he organized both the first polo match and the first tennis match in the United States, and he won the first trans-oceanicyacht race.He sponsored explorers includingHenry Morton Stanley's trip to Africa to findDavid Livingstone,and the ill-fatedUSSJeannetteattempt on the North Pole.

Bennett's controversial reputation is thought to be the inspiration behind the phrase "Gordon Bennett!",used as an expression of incredulity.[1][2][3]

Early life

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Bennett was born on May 10, 1841, inNew York CitytoJames Gordon Bennett Sr.(1795–1872), the founder, editor and publisher of theNew York Herald.He was the only son in the family. He grew up mostly in France, and attended theÉcole polytechnique.[4][1]

Career

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In 1861, he moved to the United States, and enlisted in theUnionNavy. In 1867, under his father's tutelage, he foundedThe Evening Telegram,an entertainment and gossip paper[4]that later became theNew York World-Telegram.On January 1, 1867, the elder Bennett turned control of theHeraldover to him.[4]Bennett raised the paper's profile on the world stage when he provided the financial backing for the 1869 expedition byHenry Morton Stanleyinto Africa to findDavid Livingstonein exchange for theHeraldhaving theexclusiveaccount of Stanley's progress.

In 1872, he commissioned a Manhattan building design fromArthur D. Gilman,who popularizedSecond Empireandcast-iron facades.The building still exists, on Nassau Street. Though he sold it in 1889 and it was greatly expanded over the following five years, it continues to be known as theBennett Building.[4]It was built on a site previously occupied by the Herald's offices and printing plant, and theHeraldlater moved back into it. In 1890, he commissioned a new Herald building at Sixth and Broadway, completed in 1895.[4]

In 1880, Bennett established international editions of his newspaper in Paris and London; their successor is theNew York Times International Edition,previously known as theInternational Herald Tribune.[4]In 1883, he partnered with John W. Mackay to found the Commercial Cable Company. It was a successful business and provided an additional large income to Bennett.[4]

Lifestyle

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Bennett, like many of his social class, indulged in the "good life": yachts, opulentprivate railroad cars,and lavish mansions. He was the youngestCommodoreever of theNew York Yacht Club.Bennett became Commodore of the N.Y.Y.C in 1870 afterHenry G. Stebbins's term, which was from 1863 to 1870.[5]

Yachts

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The yachtHenrietta

In 1861, Bennett volunteered his newly built schooner yacht,Henrietta,for theU.S. Revenue Marine Serviceduring theCivil War.At the same time, Bennett was commissioned as a third lieutenant in the Revenue Marine Service (equivalent to anensignin the U.S. Navy) and assigned to the U.S. Marine Revenue schoonerHenrietta(the yacht he had loaned to the U.S. Government) beginning in June 1861. She patrolledLong Islanduntil February 1862 when she was sent toPort Royal, South Carolina.On March 3, 1862, Bennett commanded theHenriettaas part of the fleet which capturedFernandina, Florida.Bennett and theHenriettareturned to civilian life in New York in May 1862.[6][7]

James Gordon Bennett Jr.

In 1866, on a bet, he won the first trans-oceanicyacht race.The race was between three American yachts, theVesta(owned byPierre Lorillard IV), theFleetwing(owned by George and Frank Osgood) and theHenrietta.Each yachtsman put up $30,000 in the winner-take-all wager. They started off inSandy Hook,New Jersey,on 11 December 1866 amid highwesterly windsand raced toThe Needles,the furthest westerly point on theIsle of Wight,famous for its lighthouse. Bennett'sHenriettawon with a time of 13 days, 21 hours, 55 minutes.[8][9]

In April 1867, Bennett purchased the yachtL'Hirondellefor $75,000 from Bradford.[10]In May 1867, Bennett refitted theL'Hirondelleand changed her name to theDauntless.[11]She was rebuilt and rigged as a schooner. Bennett added 23 feet to her length. Her new dimensions changed to 121 feet; 25-foot beam and 299-tons.[12]

He entertained guests aboard his steam-yacht "Namouna". American expatriate artistJulius LeBlanc Stewartpainted several works set on the yacht.

On May 11, 1870, the pilot boatJames Gordon Bennett,No. 6, was launched from theLawrence & Foulksshipyard atWilliamsburg.At the launch andnaming ceremony,Katie Chapman, daughter of Captain Daniel C. Chapman, gave the boat the nameJames Gordon Bennett.[13]

Bennett presented the cup and prizes at the October 14, 1873, New York Yacht Club, Cape May Challenge Cup 140-mile (230 km)regatta,which was a race fromOwl's Head Pointaround toCape May Lighthousein New Jersey, and back toSandy Hook Light.[14]

Scandal

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Bennett often scandalized society with his flamboyant and sometimes erratic behavior. In 1877, he left New York for Europe after an incident that ended his engagement to socialite Caroline May. According to various accounts, he arrived late and drunk to a party at the May family mansion, then urinated into a fireplace (some say grand piano) in full view of his hosts.[1][15][16][17]

Bennett's controversial reputation is thought to have inspired, in Britain, the phrase "Gordon Bennett!" as an expression of incredulity.[1][2][3]

Move to Paris

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Settling in Paris, he launched the Paris edition of theNew York Herald,named theParis Herald,the forerunner of theInternational Herald Tribune.He backedGeorge W. De Long's voyage to the North Pole on theUSSJeannettevia theBering Strait.

The ill-fated expedition led to the deaths from starvation of DeLong and 19 of his crew, a tragedy that increased the paper's circulation. He was a co-founder of theCommercial Cable Company,a venture to break the Transatlantic cable monopoly held byJay Gould.The 2014 nonfiction bookIn The Kingdom of Icewritten by historianHampton Sidesrecounts the voyage and Bennett's role as a financier of the expedition.[18]

Return to the US

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Bennett returned to the United States[when?]and organized the firstpolomatch in the United States at Dickel's Riding Academy at 39th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York. He helped found theWestchester Polo Clubin 1876, the first polo club in America. He established theGordon Bennett Cupfor international yachting and theGordon Bennett Cupfor automobile races.[16]In 1906, he funded theGordon Bennett Cup in ballooning(Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett), which continues to this day. In 1909, Bennett offered a trophy for the fastest speed on a closed circuit for airplanes. The 1909 race inReims,France was won byGlenn Curtissfor two circuits of a 10 km rectangular course at an average speed of 46.5 miles per hour (74.8 km/h). From 1896 to 1914, the champion of Paris,USFSAfootball (soccer),received a trophy offered by Gordon Bennett.

Personal life

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Bennett did not marry until he was 73. His wife was Maud Potter, widow of George de Reuter, son ofJulius Paul Reuter,founder ofReuters news agency.He died on May 14, 1918, inBeaulieu-sur-Mer,Alpes-Maritimes,France. Bennett is buried at theCimetière de Passyin Paris.[19]

James Stillmanwas an intimate friend ofJames O. BlossandJohn William Sterling.After the death of Bennett it was learned by the administrators of his estate that he had appointed Stillman one of the administrators and trustees. Stillman had little or no opportunity to act under the authority of Bennett's will, as he died a few weeks after Bennett's death. Stillman named Sterling one of his executors. Sterling could hardly have begun his duties under Stillman's will when he too died suddenly. The Bennett estate, the Stillman estate and the Sterling estate totaled about $76,000,000. After Sterling's death it was learned that he had appointed his long time intimate companion, Bloss, one of the executors. A few weeks after Sterling's death, Bloss died.[20]

Honors

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Asteroid305 Gordoniais named after him. He also has a street named for him nearChopin AirportinWarsaw,Poland.[21]TheAvenue Gordon Bennettin Paris, where theFrench Open'sStade de Roland Garrosis sited is named after his father.[22]

Avenue Gordon Bennett near the Stade Roland Garros in Paris

Bennett, British Columbia,now aghost town,as well as nearbyBennett Lake[23]andBennett Peakare named for him, as isBennett Island,discovered during theJeannetteexpedition.

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  • On the Yacht "Namouna", Venice, by Stewart. Bennett is center left, in the white suit. Lillie Langtry is the woman seated, right (1890).
    On the Yacht "Namouna", Venice,by Stewart. Bennett is center left, in the white suit.Lillie Langtryis the woman seated, right (1890).
  • Yachting on the Mediterranean, by Stewart (1896)
    Yachting on the Mediterranean,by Stewart (1896)
  • Bennett as painted by Julian Story (1904)
    Bennett as painted byJulian Story(1904)
  • The 1906 Gordon Bennett Cup in Ballooning (1906)
    The 1906 Gordon Bennett Cup in Ballooning (1906)
  • Bennett (c. 1910–1915)
    Bennett (c. 1910–1915)

References

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  1. ^abcd"Gordon Bennett: A puzzling British exclamation"World Wide Words
  2. ^abGordon Bennett!,retrieved8 September2017
  3. ^abGordon Bennett! - the meaning and origin of this phrase,retrieved8 September2017
  4. ^abcdefg"Landmark Preservation Analysis – Bennett Building – James Gordon Bennett, Jr. and The Daily Herald"(PDF).NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. p. 2. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2016-03-03.Retrieved2018-05-01.
  5. ^"The Yacht Phantom".Boston Post.Boston, Massachusetts. 13 May 1879. p. 2.Retrieved2021-06-16.
  6. ^"Department of the Navy, Navy Historical Center," James Gordon Bennett Jr. (1841–1918) "".
  7. ^"Schooner YachtHenrietta(1861) ",Department of the Navy,Naval Historical Center,
  8. ^Greeley, Horace(1895)The Tribune Almanac and Political RegisterTribune Association, New York, 7(1):p. 252,OCLC2559580
  9. ^Thompson, Winfield M. andLawson, Thomas William(1902)The Lawson History of the America's Cup,Boston, Massachusettsp. 46,OCLC911964
  10. ^"Literary And Personal".The Buffalo Commercial.Buffalo, New York. 14 Apr 1867. p. 1.Retrieved2021-06-12.
  11. ^"Topics of To-Day".The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.Brooklyn, New York. 1 May 1867. p. 2.Retrieved2021-06-12.
  12. ^Connecticut River Shipbuilding.Arcadia. 5 October 2020. p. 143.ISBN9781439670491.Retrieved2021-06-11.
  13. ^"The New Pilot Boat. Launch of the James Gordon Bennett, No. 6, Her Dimensions, Fittings, Spars and Crew".New York Herald.New York, New York. 12 May 1870. p. 2.Retrieved2020-12-24.
  14. ^Loubat, Joseph Florimond (1887).A yachtsman's scrap book: or, The ups and downs of yacht racing.New York: Brentano Brothers. p. 268.
  15. ^Homberger, Eric (2002)Mrs. Astor's New York: Money and Social Power in a Gilded AgeYale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut,page 13,ISBN0-300-10515-0
  16. ^ab"Britain's first international motor race"Who? What? Where? When? Why? on the World Wide Web
  17. ^Wallace, David Rains (1999)The Bonehunters' Revenge: Dinosaurs, Greed, and the Greatest Scientific Feud of the Gilded AgeHoughton Mifflin, Boston,page 5,ISBN0-395-85089-4
  18. ^Grossman, Lev (July 31, 2014)."In the Kingdom of Ice Brings Cold Comfort".Time.
  19. ^"Cimetière de Passy",Paris Cemeteries. Retrieved 5 June 2020
  20. ^"Three Strange Coincidences – 21 Dec 1918, Sat • Page 2".The Wall Street Journal:2. 1918.Retrieved3 January2018.Public DomainThis article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
  21. ^Ulica Jamesa Gordona BennettaWarszawa - oficjalny portal stolicy Polski
  22. ^Invisible Paris:see street sign
  23. ^"Bennett Lake | Yukon Territory Alaska Northern British Columbia".25 May 2020.

Further reading

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  • Crockett, Albert Stevens (1926)When James Gordon Bennett was Caliph of BagdadFunk & Wagnalls, New York,OCLC1373863
  • Seitz, Don Carlos (1928)The James Gordon Bennetts, Father and Son, Proprietors of the New York HeraldBobbs-Merrill, Indianapolis,OCLC619637;reissued in 1974 by Beekman Publishers
  • O'Connor, Richard (1962)The Scandalous Mr. BennettDoubleday, Garden City, New York,OCLC332764
  • Cane, André (1981)James Gordon Bennett: Hôte Prestigieux et Fantasque de la Côte d'Azur(James Gordon Bennett: Prestigious and Eccentric Host of theRiviera) B. de Gourcez, Saint-Paul-de-Vence,OCLC9465414,in French
  • Hampton Sides(2014).In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the U.S.S. Jeannette.Doubleday.
  • Jefferson, Sam (2016) 'Gordon Bennett and the First Yacht Race Across the Atlantic'. Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
  • Roethof, Guikje (2018)Gordon Bennett!Uitgeverij Aspekt, Soesterberg,OCLC 1026502787,in Dutch.
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