Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt

Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt (1901 - August 6, 1978) was an American socialite and philanthropist. She was one of the first women to compete in the America's Cup alongside her husband, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, in 1934 and 1937.

Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt
Born	Gertrude Lewis Conaway 1901 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	August 6, 1978 Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.
Resting place	St. Mary's Cemetery, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, U.S.
Occupation	Socialite, philanthropist
Spouse(s)	Harold Stirling Vanderbilt
Parent(s)	John L. Conaway
Relatives	W. Barklie Henry (stepfather) William Kissam Vanderbilt (father-in-law) Alva Belmont (mother-in-law) Consuelo Vanderbilt (sister-in-law)

Early life

Gertrude Conaway was born in 1901 in Philadelphia.[1][2] Her father, John L. Conaway, was "a famous horseman."[3] He died when she was 10.[4] Her stepfather, W. Barklie Henry, was a banker and yachtsman.[3]

Conaway grew up in Philadelphia, where she acted in amateur theatre.[3]

Yachting and philanthropy

Vanderbilt was one of the first women allowed to compete in the America's Cup. She was allowed aboard her husband's yachts during the 1934 America's Cup and the 1937 America's Cup.[1]

Vanderbilt served on the board of trust of Vanderbilt University, a private university in Nashville, Tennessee, as an honorary trustee.[1] She endowed scholarships in the English department.[1]

Vanderbilt bequeathed $1 million to the Newport Hospital, $1 million to the JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, Florida, $200,000 to the Shenandoah County Memorial Hospital in Woodstock, Virginia, and $100,000 to the NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital.[5] She also donated $1.25 million to the Preservation Society of Newport County, an organization to protect the architectural heritage of Newport County, Rhode Island.[5]

Personal life and death

Eastover.

Conaway married Harold Stirling Vanderbilt on August 20, 1933 in New York City.[6] He was 17 years older than she.[3] They never had children. They resided in New York City and at Eastover, a property in Manalapan, Florida near Palm Beach designed by architect Maurice Fatio.[2] They summered at Rock Cliff, an estate in Newport, Rhode Island that they purchased in 1961.[1] When her husband died in 1970, Vanderbilt inherited over $1 million as well as $15 million in trust funds.[2]

Vanderbilt died on August 8, 1978 in Newport, Rhode Island.[5] Her funeral was held at Trinity Church, and she was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Portsmouth, Rhode Island.[1]

References

1. "Gertrude Vanderbilt, Yachtsman's Widow, At Her Summer Home". The New York Times. August 7, 1978. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
2. "Mrs. Vanderbilt Dies At 77". The Palm Beach Post. August 8, 1978. p. 18. Retrieved June 15, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
3. ""Most Eligible Bachelor" Marries". St Louis Post-Dispatch. September 16, 1933. p. 15. Retrieved June 15, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "J. L. Conaway, Whip and Clubman, Dies". The Philadelphia Inquirer. August 8, 1911. p. 2. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
5. "Vanderbilt will". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. August 19, 1978. p. 13. Retrieved June 15, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Rich Bachelor Marries New York Society Girl". The Tampa Tribune. August 20, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved June 15, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.