Louise Whitfield Carnegie
Louise Whitfield Carnegie | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Louise Whitfield March 7, 1857 New York City,New York,U.S. |
| Died | June 24, 1946 (aged 89) |
| Resting place | Sleepy Hollow Cemetery |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Margaret Carnegie Miller |
| Parent |
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| Relatives |
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Louise Whitfield Carnegie(March 7, 1857 – June 24, 1946) was an American philanthropist. She was the wife of Scottish-AmericanindustrialistandphilanthropistAndrew Carnegie.
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]Louise Whitfield was born on March 7, 1857, in theChelsea neighborhoodofNew York City.Her parents—John D. Whitfield (died 1878), a prosperous New York Citytextilemerchant, and Fannie Davis—descended from families who emigrated from England in the 1600s.[1]
Reaching relative success, John moved the family from Chelsea toGramercy Parkand finally to abrownstoneon West48th StreetandFifth Avenue.
Adult life
[edit]
At the age of 23, Whitfield metAndrew Carnegie,himself aged 45, through her father.[1]
On April 22, 1887, Whitfield (now 30) married Carnegie (51) at her family's home in New York City in a private ceremony officiated by a pastor from theChurch of the Divine Paternity,a Universalist church to which the Whitfields belonged.[2]As wedding gifts from her husband, Louise received a home (formerly owned byCollis Potter Huntington) at 5 West51st Streetand an annual income of approximately $20,000.[3]Louise signed aprenuptial agreement,renouncing any claims to Andrew’s fortune. In return, Andrew gave herstocksandbondsthat amounted to an independent annual income ofUS$20,000(equivalent to $678,222 in 2023).[1]
Ten years later, in 1897, Louise gave birth to the couple's only child,Margaret Carnegie.Louise and her daughter were members of theBrick Presbyterian Churchand later theChurch of the Divine Paternity(now theFourth Universalist Society in the City of New York) for whom she and her husband funded their organ.[4][5]
Carnegie died at the age of 89 in Manhattan on June 24, 1946.[1]She was buried inSleepy Hollow Cemetery,inSleepy Hollow, New York.
Philanthropy
[edit]Louise was an influential member of the board ofThe Carnegie Corporationuntil her death. She advised Andrew Carnegie as they jointly helped the creation of over 2,500 libraries between 1883 and 1929.[1]
After Andrew's death in 1919, Louise continued making charitable contributions to organizations includingAmerican Red Cross,theY.W.C.A.,theCathedral of St. John the Divine,numerousWorld War IIrelief funds, and $100,000 to theUnion Theological Seminary.She spent her summers atSkibo Castle.
References
[edit]- ^abcde"Louise and Andrew Carnegie: A Partnership".carnegiehall.org.Retrieved2021-05-12.
- ^David Nasaw, Andrew Carnegie, (Penguin, 2007) p. 296ISBN0-14-311244-9,ISBN978-0-14-311244-0
- ^MR. CARNEGIE'S WEDDING.; STARTING FOR EUROPE WITH HIS BRIDE, MISS LOUISE WHITFIELD.,published April 23, 1997, inthe New York Times;
- ^BAGPIPE TUNES AT CARNEGIE WEDDING,inthe New York Times,Nov. 29, 1918
- ^"Fourth Universalist Society of New York. Records, 1839-2001".Div.hds.harvard.edu.Retrieved29 May2018.
Bibliography
[edit]- Hendrick, Burton Jesse, and Daniel Henderson. 1950.Louise Whitfield Carnegie; The Life of Mrs. Andrew Carnegie.New York: Hastings House.
- Krass, Peter. 2002.Carnegie.New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
- Nasaw, David. 2006.Andrew Carnegie.New York: Penguin Press.
- "Mr. Carnegie's Wedding"The New York Times,April 23, 1887.
- "Mrs. Carnegie Dies; Steel Man's Widow",The New York Times,June 25, 1946.
- "Rites in Home for Mrs. Carnegie",The New York Times,June 28, 1946.