Jump to content

John Jacob Astor IV: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
trim unneeded quote in ref
 
(475 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American businessman (1864–1912)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = John Jacob Astor IV
| name = John Jacob Astor IV
| image = John Jacob Astor IVb.jpg
| image = John Jacob Astor IVb.jpg
| caption = Astor in 1895
| caption = Astor in 1895
| birth_date = July 13, 1864
| birth_date = {{birth date|1864|07|13}}
| birth_place = [[Rhinebeck, New York]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Rhinebeck, New York]], U.S.
| death_date = April 15, 1912 (aged {{age|1864|7|13|1912|4|15}})
| death_date = {{death date and age|1912|4|15|1864|7|13}}
| death_place = [[RMS Titanic|RMS ''Titanic'']], North Atlantic Ocean
| death_place = North Atlantic Ocean
| death_cause = [[Sinking of the Titanic|Sinking of the ''Titanic'']]
| resting_place = [[Trinity Church Cemetery]], New York City, New York, U.S.
| burial_place = [[Trinity Church Cemetery]]<br/>New York City, U.S.
| education = [[St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)|St Paul's School]]
| education = {{ubl|[[St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)|St Paul's School]]|[[Harvard University]]}}
| party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| occupation = Business magnate
| children = [[Vincent Astor]]<br>[[Ava Alice Muriel Astor]]<br>[[John Jacob Astor VI]]
| relatives = [[Astor family]]
| parents = [[William Backhouse Astor, Jr.]]<br>[[Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor|Caroline Webster Schermerhorn]]
| children = {{Plainlist|
| relatives = See [[Astor family]]
* [[Vincent Astor|William Vincent Astor]]
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Ava Lowle Willing]]|1891|1910|end=divorced}}<br>{{marriage|[[Madeleine Astor|Madeleine Talmage Force]]|1911|1912|end=his death}}
* [[Ava Alice Muriel Astor]]
| networth = {{increase}} US $87 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|0.086966|1912|r=2}} billion in {{Inflation-year|US}}){{inflation-fn|US}}
* [[John Jacob Astor VI]]
| alma mater = [[Harvard University]]
}}
| spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|[[Ava Lowle Willing]]|February 17, 1891|1910|reason=div}}|{{marriage|[[Madeleine Astor|Madeleine Talmage Force]]|1911<!--Omission per Template:Marriage instructions-->}}}}
| parents = [[William Backhouse Astor Jr.]] <br> [[Caroline Schermerhorn Astor|Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn]]
| signature = Signature of John Jacob Astor IV.png
}}
}}


'''John Jacob Astor IV''' (July 13, 1864 – April 15, 1912) was an American business magnate, real estate developer, investor, writer, lieutenant colonel in the [[Spanish–American War]], and a prominent member of the [[Astor family]]. He was among the most prominent American passengers aboard {{RMS|Titanic}} and perished along with 1,495 others when the ship [[Sinking of the Titanic|sank on her maiden voyage]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Noted Men On The Lost Titanic. Col. Jacob Astor, with His Wife. Isidor Straus and Wife, and Benj. Guggenheim Aboard. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1912/04/16/archives/noted-men-on-the-lost-titanic-col-jacob-astor-with-his-wife-isidor.html |quote=Following are sketches of a few of the well-known persons among the 1,300 passengers on the lost Titanic. The fate of most of them at this time is, of course, not known. Col. John Jacob Astor and Mrs. Astor, [[Isidor Straus]] and Mrs. Straus, [[J. Bruce Ismay]], Managing Director of the White Star Line: [[Benjamin Guggenheim]], and [[Frank D. Millet]], the artist, are perhaps the most widely known of the passengers. ... . |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 16, 1912 |access-date=December 10, 2013}}</ref> Astor was the richest passenger aboard the RMS ''Titanic'' and was thought to be among the richest people in the world at that time, with a net worth of roughly $87 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|0.086966|1912|r=2}} billion in {{Inflation-year|US}}) when he died.{{inflation-fn|US}}<ref name=esjjacol>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cEssAAAAIBAJ&pg=6166%2C3485431 |newspaper=Spartanburg Herald |location=South Carolina |agency=Associated Press |title=Col. John Jacob Astor left estate worth $86,966,611 |date=June 14, 1913 |page=1}}</ref>
'''John Jacob''' "'''Jack'''" '''Astor IV''' (July 13, 1864 – April 15, 1912) was an American businessman, real estate builder, investor, inventor, writer, lieutenant colonel in the [[Spanish–American War]], and a prominent member of the [[Astor family]].

Astor died in the [[Sinking of the RMS Titanic|sinking of the RMS ''Titanic'']] during the early hours of April 15, 1912. He was among the 1,514 people on board who did not survive.<ref>{{cite news |title=Noted Men On The Lost Titanic. Col. Jacob Astor, with His Wife. Isidor Straus and Wife, and Benj. Guggenheim Aboard. |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10A14FE3E5813738DDDAF0994DC405B828DF1D3 |quote=Following are sketches of a few of the well-known persons among the 1,300 passengers on the lost Titanic. The fate of most of them at this time is, of course, not known. Col. John Jacob Astor and Mrs. Astor, [[Isidor Straus]] and Mrs. Straus, [[J. Bruce Ismay]], Managing Director of the White Star Line: [[Benjamin Guggenheim]], and [[Frank D. Millet]], the artist, are perhaps the most widely known of the passengers..... |newspaper=The New York Times|publisher=Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. |date=April 16, 1912 |accessdate=2013-12-10 }}</ref> He was the richest passenger aboard the ''Titanic'' and was thought to be among the richest people in the world at that time, with a net worth of nearly $87 million when he died (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|0.086966|1912|r=2}} billion in {{Inflation-year|US}}).{{inflation-fn|US}}<ref name=esjjacol>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cEssAAAAIBAJ&sjid=58kEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6166%2C3485431 |newspaper=Spartanburg Herald |location=South Carolina |agency=Associated Press |title=Col. John Jacob Astor left estate worth $86,966,611 |date=June 14, 1913 |page=1}}</ref>


==Early life, education, and family==
==Early life, education, and family==
[[File: John Jacob Astor 1909.jpg|thumb|Astor in 1909]]
John Jacob Astor IV was born on July 13, 1864 at his parents' country estate [[Ferncliff forest|Ferncliff]] in [[Rhinebeck, New York]]. He was the youngest of five children and only son of businessman, collector, and race horse breeder/owner [[William Backhouse Astor, Jr.]] and socialite [[Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor|Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn]]. His four elder sisters were Emily (1854–1881), Helen (1855–1893), Charlotte (1858–1920), and Caroline ("Carrie") (1861–1948). He was a great-grandson of fur-trader [[John Jacob Astor]] and Sarah Cox Todd (1761–1834), whose fortune made the Astor family one of the wealthiest in the United States. Astor’s paternal grandfather [[William Backhouse Astor, Sr.]] was a prominent real estate businessman. Through his paternal grandmother Margaret Alida Rebecca Armstrong (1800–1872), Astor was also a great-grandson of Senator [[John Armstrong, Jr.]] and Alida Livingston (1761–1822) of the [[Livingston family]]. His maternal grandparents were Rochester mayor [[Abraham Maus Schermerhorn]] and socialite Helen Van Courtlandt White. He was also a nephew of financer/philanthropist [[John Jacob Astor III]] and grandnephew of occasional poet John Jacob Astor, Jr. (1791–1869). His sister Helen's husband was diplomat [[James Roosevelt Roosevelt|James Roosevelt "Rosey" Roosevelt]], half-brother of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] of the [[Roosevelt family]]. Another sister, Carrie, a noted philanthropist, was the wife of Marshall Orme Wilson (1860–1926), brother of banker [[Richard Thornton Wilson, Jr.]] and socialite [[Grace Vanderbilt|Grace Graham Wilson]]. Astor was also a first cousin of [[William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor]].
[[File:John Astor Astor as Henry IV of France.jpg|thumb|Astor as [[Henry IV of France]]]]
John Jacob Astor IV was born on July 13, 1864, at his parents' country estate of [[Ferncliff forest|Ferncliff]] in [[Rhinebeck, New York]]. He was the youngest of five children and only son of [[William Backhouse Astor&nbsp;Jr.]], a businessman, collector, and racehorse breeder/owner, and [[Caroline Schermerhorn Astor|Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn]], a Dutch-American socialite. His four elder sisters were Emily, Helen, Charlotte, and [[Carrie Astor Wilson|Carrie]].


John was a great-grandson of German–American fur-trader [[John Jacob Astor]] and Sarah Cox Todd, whose fortune made the [[Astor family]] one of the wealthiest in the United States. Astor's paternal grandfather [[William Backhouse Astor&nbsp;Sr.]] was a prominent real estate businessman. Through his paternal grandmother, Margaret Alida Rebecca Armstrong, Astor was also a great-grandson of Senator [[John Armstrong&nbsp;Jr.]] and Alida Livingston of the [[Livingston family]]. His maternal grandparents were [[Abraham Schermerhorn]], a wealthy merchant, and socialite Helen Van Courtlandt White. His sister Helen's husband was diplomat [[James Roosevelt Roosevelt|James Roosevelt "Rosey" Roosevelt]], half-brother of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] of the [[Roosevelt family]]. Another sister, named Carrie, was a noted philanthropist and the wife of [[Marshall Orme Wilson]] (brother of banker [[Richard Thornton Wilson&nbsp;Jr.]] and socialite [[Grace Vanderbilt|Grace (née Wilson) Vanderbilt]]). Astor was also a first cousin of [[William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor]], with whom his mother had a notorious feud resulting in William's removal to England.
Astor attended [[St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)|St Paul's School]] in [[Concord, New Hampshire]] and later attended [[Harvard University]].<ref name=titanic/> Astor went by the name "Jack". His ungainly appearance and the perception that he was an aimless dilettante led one newspaper to give him the name "Jack Ass-tor".<ref name=NYTimes>{{cite web|title=An Age of Splendor, and Hotel One-Upmanship |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/18/business/yourmoney/18shelf.html?_r=0|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|publisher=[[Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr.]]|quote=His younger cousin, known as Jack, enrolled in Harvard, left without a degree, traveled and joined 'about two dozen clubs.' He tinkered with inventions, married unwisely and, inspired by Jules Verne, wrote a work of science fiction. Often ridiculed in the press, he bore the sobriquet 'Jack Ass.'|date=June 18, 2006}}</ref><ref>William Alan Morrison, Waldorf Astoria, Arcadia Publishing - 2014, page 29</ref>


Astor attended [[St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)|St Paul's School]] in [[Concord, New Hampshire]], and later attended [[Harvard College]].<ref name=titanic/> He went by the name "Jack". His ungainly appearance and the perception that he was an aimless dilettante led one newspaper to give him the name "Jack Ass-tor".<ref name=NYTimes>{{cite web|title=An Age of Splendor, and Hotel One-Upmanship |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/18/business/yourmoney/18shelf.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 18, 2006}}</ref><ref>William Alan Morrison, Waldorf Astoria, Arcadia Publishing - 2014, page 29</ref>
==Marriages==

[[File:John Jacob Astor 1909.jpg|thumb|John Jacob Astor IV in 1909.]]
==Career==
[[File:John-Jacob-Astor1.jpg|thumb|John Jacob Astor as [[Henry IV of France]]]]
Among Astor's accomplishments was ''[[A Journey in Other Worlds]]'' (1894), a science-fiction novel about life in the year 2000 on the planets [[Saturn]] and [[Jupiter]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Foster, John Wilson |title=The Age of Titanic: Cross-Currents in Anglo-American Culture |date=2002}}</ref> He also patented several inventions, including a bicycle brake in 1898, a "vibratory disintegrator" used to produce gas from [[sphagnum|peat moss]], and a [[Pneumatics|pneumatic]] road-improver, and he helped develop a [[turbine|turbine engine]].
On February 17, 1891,<ref name=TitanicProfile>{{cite web|title=Colonel John Jacob Astor IV|url=http://www.titanicpages.com/1stclass/johnjacobastor|publisher=Titanic History Website}}</ref> Astor married socialite [[Ava Lowle Willing]], a daughter of Edward Shippen Willing and Alice Barton. The couple had two children:
* [[Vincent Astor|William Vincent Astor]], born in 1891. He later became a businessman and philanthropist
* [[Ava Alice Muriel Astor]], born in 1902.
Astor and Willing divorced in November 1909. Compounding the scandal of their divorce was Astor's announcement that he would remarry.<ref name=titanic/> At the age of 47, Astor married 18-year-old socialite [[Madeleine Astor|Madeleine Talmage Force]], the sister of real estate businesswoman and socialite [[Katherine Emmons Force]]. Their parents were William Hurlbut Force and Katherine Arvilla Talmage. Astor and Force were married in his mother's ballroom at [[Beechwood (mansion)|Beechwood]], the family's [[Newport, Rhode Island]], mansion. There was also much controversy over their 29-year age difference.<ref name="titanic survivor">{{cite web|title=Titanic Survivor Stories - Madeleine Talmage Force Astor|url=http://www.rmstitanic.net/community/blog/268-titanic-survivor-madeleine|publisher=rmstitanic.net|accessdate=17 July 2013}}</ref> His son Vincent despised Force,<ref name=Vincent>{{cite web|title=Part II: Vincent, the Astor Who Gave Away the Money|url=http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/317873/print|publisher=NewYorkSocialDaily|accessdate=6 August 2013}}</ref> yet he served as best man at his father’s wedding.<ref name="encyclopedia titanica">{{cite web|title=Col. Astor Weds Madeleine Force |url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/col-astor-weds-madeleine-force.html|publisher=encyclopedia titanica|accessdate=17 July 2013}}</ref> The couple took an extended honeymoon in [[Europe]] and [[Egypt]] to wait for the gossip to calm down. Among the few Americans who did not spurn him at this time was [[Margaret Brown]], later fictionalized as ''[[The Unsinkable Molly Brown (musical)|The Unsinkable Molly Brown]]''. She accompanied the Astors to Egypt and [[France]]. After receiving a call to return to the United States, Brown accompanied the couple back home aboard the [[RMS Titanic|RMS ''Titanic'']].<ref name=titanic/>


Like generations of Astors before him, he also made millions in real estate. In 1897, Astor built the Astoria Hotel, "the world's most luxurious hotel",<ref name=WaldorfAstoriaHotel>{{cite web|last=Turkel|first=Stanley|title=The Original Waldorf/Astoria Hotel|url=http://www.hotelinteractive.com/article.aspx?articleid=7469|publisher=hotelinteractive.com|date=4 April 2007}}</ref> in New York City, adjoining the Waldorf Hotel owned by Astor's cousin and rival, William. The complex became known as the [[Waldorf-Astoria (1893–1929)|Waldorf-Astoria Hotel]]. The Waldorf-Astoria would later be the host location to the U.S. inquiries into the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic'', on which Astor died.<ref name=titanic/>
==Careers==
Among Astor's accomplishments was ''[[A Journey in Other Worlds]]'' (1894), a science fiction novel about life in the year 2000 on the planets [[Saturn]] and [[Jupiter]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Foster, John Wilson |title=The Age of Titanic: Cross-Currents in Anglo-American Culture |date=2002}}</ref> He also patented several inventions, including a bicycle brake in 1898, a "vibratory disintegrator" used to produce gas from [[sphagnum|peat moss]], and a [[Pneumatics|pneumatic]] road-improver, and he helped develop a [[turbine|turbine engine]]. Astor made millions in real estate. In 1897, Astor built the Astoria Hotel, "the world's most luxurious hotel",<ref name=WaldorfAstoriaHotel>{{cite web|last=Turkel|first=Stanley|title=The Original Waldorf/Astoria Hotel|url=http://www.hotelinteractive.com/article.aspx?articleid=7469|publisher=hotelinteractive.com|date=4 April 2007}}</ref> in New York City, adjoining the Waldorf Hotel owned by Astor's cousin and rival, William. The complex became known as the [[Waldorf-Astoria Hotel]]. The Waldorf-Astoria would later be the host location to the U.S. inquiries into the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic'', on which Astor died.<ref name=titanic/>


===Military service===
===Military service===
[[File:Astor Battery on parade -.webm|thumb|left|Astor Battery on parade, January 1899]]
From 1894 to 1896, he was a colonel on the military staff of [[Governor of New York|New York Governor]] [[Levi P. Morton]].<ref>{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Astor, John Jacob (capitalist)|display=Astor, John Jacob. An American capitalist, inventor, and soldier|year=1905}}</ref> Shortly after the outbreak of the [[Spanish–American War]] in 1898, Astor personally financed a volunteer artillery unit known as the "Astor Battery", which saw service in the Philippines. In May 1898, Astor was appointed a [[lieutenant colonel]] in the U.S. Volunteers and served as an officer on the staff of Major General [[William Shafter]] in [[Cuba]], during the [[Siege of Santiago|Santiago Campaign]]. He was later given a brevet (honorary promotion) to colonel in recognition of his services. He was mustered out of the Volunteer Army in November 1898.<ref>''The New York Times'' (April 16, 1912).</ref>
From 1894 to 1896, he was a colonel on the military staff of [[Governor of New York|New York Governor]] [[Levi P. Morton]].<ref>{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Astor, John Jacob (capitalist)|display=Astor, John Jacob. An American capitalist, inventor, and soldier|year=1905}}</ref> Shortly after the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in 1898, Astor personally financed a volunteer artillery unit known as the "Astor Battery", which served in the Philippines. In May 1898, Astor was appointed a [[lieutenant colonel]] in the U.S. Volunteers and served as an officer on the staff of Major General [[William Shafter]] in [[Cuba]], during the [[Siege of Santiago|Santiago Campaign]]. He was later given a brevet (war/temporary promotion) to colonel in recognition of his services.<ref>"Col. John Jacob Astor". ''The New York Times'' (April 16, 1912).</ref> He was mustered out of the Volunteer Army in November 1898.


During the war, he allowed his [[yacht]], the ''Nourmahal'', to be used by the U.S. government. He appeared in the films ''President McKinley's Inspection of Camp Wikoff'' (1898) and ''Col. John Jacob Astor, Staff and Veterans of the Spanish–American War'' (1899).<ref name=titanic/> As a result of his military service, Astor was entitled to the [[Spanish Campaign Medal]]. After the war, Astor was often referred to as "Colonel Astor".{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}
During the war, he allowed his [[yacht]] ''Nourmahal'' to be used by the U.S. government. He appeared in the films ''President McKinley's Inspection of Camp Wikoff'' (1898) and ''Col. John Jacob Astor, Staff and Veterans of the Spanish–American War'' (1899).<ref name=titanic/> As a result of his military service, Astor was entitled to the [[Spanish Campaign Medal]]. After the war, Astor was often referred to as "Colonel Astor."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sinclair |first1=David |title=Dynasty: The Astors and Their Times |date=1984 |publisher=Beaufort Books |isbn=978-0-8253-0223-7 |page=203 |language=en}}</ref>


Astor was a member of several military and hereditary societies. He was an early member of the New York [[Society of Colonial Wars]] and was assigned membership number 138. He was also a member of the [[Military Order of Foreign Wars]], [[Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba]],<ref>{{cite book |title=The American Almanac, Year-book, Cyclopaedia and Atlas |date=1902 |publisher=New York American and journal |page=177 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=unNKAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA177 |language=en}}</ref> and the Society of the American Wars of the United States.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}
[[File:JJAstorIV.jpg|thumb|left|Astor and his second wife [[Madeleine Astor|Madeleine Talmage Force]].]]
Astor was a member of several military and hereditary societies. He was an early member of the New York [[Society of Colonial Wars]] and was assigned membership number 138. He was also a member of the [[Military Order of Foreign Wars]], [[Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba]], and the Society of the American Wars of the United States.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}


==Residence==
==Personal life==
[[File:JJAstorIV.jpg|thumb|right|Astor and his second wife [[Madeleine Astor|Madeleine Talmage Force]]]]
[[File:The Indoor Tennis Court.jpg|thumb|Le Court de Tennis intérieur.]]
On February 17, 1891,<ref name=TitanicProfile>{{cite web|title=Colonel John Jacob Astor IV|url=http://www.titanicpages.com/1stclass/johnjacobastor|publisher=Titanic History Website}}</ref> Astor married socialite [[Ava Lowle Willing]], a daughter of Edward Shippen Willing and Alice Barton. The couple had two children:
Astor's estate "[[Ferncliff forest|Ferncliff]]", north of the town center of [[Rhinebeck, New York]], with a mile and a half of Hudson River frontage in the picturesque Lower [[Hudson River Valley]], had been purchased [[wikt:piecemeal|piecemeal]] by his father in the mid-19th century; Astor was born there.<ref>{{cite news|author=Automobile Club of America|work=The Club Journal|issue=2|date=November 12, 1910|title=Little Journeys to the Homes of Members: Ferncliff|page=1002ff}}</ref> His father's Italianate house of 1864 was partly rebuilt in 1904 to designs by [[Stanford White]] of [[McKim, Mead, and White]], retaining its conservative exterior, and a sports pavilion in Louis XVI style was added.<ref>{{cite book|author=Goldberger, Paul |title=A Monograph of the works of McKim, Mead & White, 1879–1915|date= 1985}}</ref> The "Casino" or "Astor Courts" reportedly housed the first residential indoor swimming pool in the U.S., an indoor tennis court with vaulting of [[Guastavino tile]], and guest bedrooms; in the lower level were a bowling alley and a shooting range.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.astorcourts.com/about.htm |website=AstorCourts.com|title=About|accessdate= September 10, 2011}}</ref> The estate, reduced to {{convert|50|acre|m2}} and renamed "Astor Courts", eventually became a wedding venue. [[Chelsea Clinton]] was wed there on July 31, 2010.{{Clear}}
* [[Vincent Astor|William Vincent Astor]] (November 15, 1891 – February 3, 1959), businessman and philanthropist
* [[Ava Alice Muriel Astor]] (July 7, 1902 – July 19, 1956)

Astor and Willing divorced in November 1909. Compounding the scandal of their divorce was Astor's announcement that he would remarry.<ref name=titanic/> On September 9, 1911, the 47-year-old Astor married 18-year-old socialite [[Madeleine Astor|Madeleine Talmage Force]], the sister of real estate businesswoman and socialite [[Katherine Emmons Force]]. Their parents were William Hurlbut Force and Katherine Arvilla Talmage. Astor and Force were married in his mother's ballroom at [[Beechwood (mansion)|Beechwood]], the family's [[Newport, Rhode Island]], mansion. There was also much controversy over their 29-year age difference.<ref name="titanic survivor">{{cite web|title=Titanic Survivor Stories – Madeleine Talmage Force Astor|url=http://www.rmstitanic.net/community/blog/268-titanic-survivor-madeleine|publisher=rmstitanic.net|access-date=17 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927135935/http://www.rmstitanic.net/community/blog/268-titanic-survivor-madeleine|archive-date=September 27, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> His son Vincent despised Force,<ref name=Vincent>{{cite web|title=Part II: Vincent, the Astor Who Gave Away the Money|url=http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/317873/print|publisher=NewYorkSocialDaily|access-date=6 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512034627/http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/317873/print|archive-date=May 12, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> yet he served as best man at his father's wedding.<ref name="encyclopedia titanica">{{cite web|title=Col. Astor Weds Madeleine Force |date=November 4, 2003 |url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/col-astor-weds-madeleine-force.html|publisher=Encyclopedia Titanica|access-date=17 July 2013}}</ref> The couple took an extended honeymoon in [[Europe]] and [[Egypt]] to wait for the gossip to calm down. Among the few Americans who did not spurn him at this time was [[Margaret Brown]], later fictionalized as ''[[The Unsinkable Molly Brown (musical)|The Unsinkable Molly Brown]]''. She accompanied the Astors to Egypt and [[France]]. After receiving a call to return to the United States, Brown accompanied the couple back home aboard {{RMS|Titanic}}.<ref name=titanic/>

===Residence===
[[File:Ferncliff, Rhinebeck, New York.jpg|thumb|[[Ferncliff Farm|Ferncliff]], the Astor family's country estate in [[Rhinebeck (town), New York|Rhinebeck, New York]]]]
Astor's country estate, [[Ferncliff Farm|Ferncliff]], was north of the town center in [[Rhinebeck (town), New York|Rhinebeck, New York]], with {{convert|1+1/2|mi|km|round=0.5|abbr=off|sp=us}} of [[Hudson River]] frontage in the picturesque Lower [[Hudson River Valley]]. The land had been purchased [[wikt:piecemeal|piecemeal]] by his father during the mid 19th century. Astor was born there.<ref>{{cite news|author=Automobile Club of America|work=The Club Journal|issue=2|date=November 12, 1910|title=Little Journeys to the Homes of Members: Ferncliff|page=1002ff}}</ref>

His father's [[Italianate]] mansion of 1864 was partly rebuilt in 1904 to designs by [[Stanford White]] of [[McKim, Mead & White]]. The house retained its conservative exterior, and a separate sports pavilion in the [[Louis XVI style]] was built. This was Stanford White's last project before he died.<ref>{{cite book|author=Goldberger, Paul |title=A Monograph of the works of McKim, Mead & White, 1879–1915|date= 1985}}</ref>

The "Ferncliff Casino" sports pavilion (later called "Astor Courts") reportedly housed the first residential indoor swimming pool in the U.S., an indoor tennis court with vaulting of [[Guastavino tile]], two squash courts, and guest bedrooms. On the lower level, there was a bowling alley and a shooting range.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.astorcourts.com/about.htm|website=AstorCourts.com|title=About|access-date=September 10, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110914054331/http://www.astorcourts.com/about.htm|archive-date=September 14, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The estate was reduced to {{convert|50|acre|m2}} and was renamed "Astor Courts", eventually becoming a wedding venue.


==''Titanic''==
==''Titanic''==
[[Image:Madeleine JackAstor.jpg|thumb|Astor with his wife, Madeleine Force Astor, and their Airedale, Kitty.]]
[[File:Madeleine JackAstor.jpg|thumb|Astor with his wife, Madeleine Force Astor, and their Airedale, Kitty]]
[[File:Titanic-New York Herald front page 2.jpeg|thumb|''[[New York Herald]]'' report of the sinking of the Titanic. Most reports featured the Astors in the headlines.]]
[[File:Titanic-New York Herald front page 2.jpeg|left|thumb|''[[The New York Herald]]'' report of the sinking of ''Titanic''. Most reports featured the Astors in the headlines.]]


While traveling, Madeleine Force Astor became pregnant. Wanting the child born in the U.S., the Astors boarded the {{RMS|Titanic}} on her maiden voyage to New York. They embarked in [[Cherbourg]], France, in first class and were the wealthiest passengers aboard. Accompanying the Astors were Astor's valet, Victor Robbins; Force’s maid, Rosalie Bidois; and her nurse, Caroline Louise Endres. They also took their pet [[Airedale Terrier|Airedale]], Kitty. The Astors were deeply fond of their dog and had come close to losing her on a previous trip when she went missing in Egypt. Kitty did not survive the sinking.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lostandfond.co.uk/news-features/2010-10/fate-pets-who-sailed-titanic |title=Fate of the pets who sailed on the Titanic |publisher=Lostandfond.co.uk |date=October 2, 2010 |accessdate=September 10, 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321205230/http://www.lostandfond.co.uk/news-features/2010-10/fate-pets-who-sailed-titanic |archivedate=March 21, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.titanic-passengers.com/johnjacobastor.htm|accessdate=February 16, 2012|title=John Jacob Astor IV|publisher=titanic-passengers.com}}</ref> A short while after the ''Titanic'' hit the iceberg that caused her to sink, Astor informed his wife of the collision but told her the damage did not appear to be serious. Some time later, as the ship's lifeboats for first class were being manned, Astor remained unperturbed; he and his family played with the mechanical horses in the gymnasium. At some point Astor is thought to have sliced the lining of an extra lifebelt with a pen knife to show his wife its contents, either to prove they were not of use or to reassure her that they were. He even declared: "We are safer here than in that little boat."{{sfn|Lord|1976|pp=73–4}}<ref name=titanic/>
While traveling, Madeleine Force Astor became pregnant. Wanting the child born in the U.S., the Astors boarded ''Titanic'' on her maiden voyage to New York. They embarked in [[Cherbourg]], France via the [[SS Nomadic (1911)| SS Nomadic]], in first class and were the wealthiest passengers aboard. Accompanying the Astors were Astor's valet, Victor Robbins; Mrs. Astor's maid, Rosalie Bidois; and her nurse, Caroline Louise Endres. They also took their pet dog, an [[Airedale Terrier]] named Kitty. The Astors were deeply fond of their dog and had come close to losing her on a previous trip when she went missing in Egypt. Kitty did not survive the sinking.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lostandfond.co.uk/news-features/2010-10/fate-pets-who-sailed-titanic |title=Fate of the pets who sailed on the Titanic |publisher=Lostandfond.co.uk |date=October 2, 2010 |access-date=September 10, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321205230/http://www.lostandfond.co.uk/news-features/2010-10/fate-pets-who-sailed-titanic |archive-date=March 21, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.titanic-passengers.com/johnjacobastor.htm|access-date=February 16, 2012|title=John Jacob Astor IV|publisher=titanic-passengers.com|archive-date=July 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717063734/http://www.titanic-passengers.com/johnjacobastor.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> They had met up with [[Margaret Brown|Margaret "Molly" Brown]] traveling through Egypt. According to Edith Rosenbaum, Astor pointed out some vital statistics of the ship, and said, "She's unsinkable, a modern shipbuilding miracle."{{sfn|Fitch|Layton|Wormstedt|2012|p=92}} On April 14, when Captain [[Edward Smith (sea captain)|Edward J. Smith]] attended a large dinner party in B Deck restaurant, Salon Steward Thomas Whiteley stated that Smith "talked and joked with Mr Astor.{{sfn|Fitch|Layton|Wormstedt|2012|p=130}} Shortly after ''Titanic'' hit the iceberg, Isaac Frauenthal saw Astor approach Captain Smith and tell him, "Captain, my wife is not in good health. She has gone to bed, and I don't want to get her up unless it is absolutely necessary. What is the situation?" Smith advised Astor to awaken his wife, as they might have to take to the boats. Astor "never changed expression...thanked the Captain courteously and walked rapidly, but composedly away".{{sfn|Fitch|Layton|Wormstedt|2012|p=163-166}} Astor informed his wife of the collision but told her the damage did not appear to be serious. He and his wife and other passengers talked about the collision with the iceberg. Some time later, as the ship's [[Lifeboats of the RMS Titanic|lifeboats]] for first class were being manned, Astor remained unperturbed; he and his wife played with the mechanical horses in the gymnasium. At some point Astor is thought to have sliced the lining of an extra lifebelt with a pen knife to show his wife its contents, either to prove they were not of use or to reassure her that they were. He even declared: "We are safer here than in that little boat."<ref>{{cite book | last = Lord | first = Walter | author-link = Walter Lord | title = [[A Night to Remember (book)|A Night to Remember]] | year = 1976 | publisher = Penguin Books | location = London | isbn = 978-0-14-004757-8 }}</ref>{{rp|73–74}}<ref name=titanic/>


At boat No.7, Astor and his wife were about to board when Astor drew back and pulled his wife back with him. Someone said something to Astor, but it is unknown what was said.{{sfn|Fitch|Layton|Wormstedt|2012|p=194}} On A Deck, [[May Futrelle|Lily May Peel]] saw Astor smoking a cigarette with [[Jacques Futrelle]].{{sfn|Fitch|Layton|Wormstedt|2012|p=213}} When Second Officer [[Charles Lightoller]] later arrived on A Deck to finish loading Lifeboat 4, Astor helped his wife, with her maid and nurse, into it. He then asked if he might join his wife because she was in "a delicate condition;" however, Lightoller told him men were not to be allowed to board until all the women and children had been loaded. Astor did not protest, simply kissed his wife, telling her that he would follow in another boat. According to ''Titanic'' passenger [[Archibald Gracie IV]] who also helped Astor's wife into the boat;
When Second Officer [[Charles Lightoller]] later arrived on A Deck to finish loading Lifeboat 4, Astor helped his wife, with her maid and nurse, into it. He then asked if he might join his wife because she was in "a delicate condition"; however, Lightoller told him men were not to be allowed to board until all the women and children had been loaded. According to ''Titanic'' passenger [[Archibald Gracie IV]], "She was lifted up through the window, and her husband helped her on the other side, and when she got in, her husband was on one side of this window and I was on the other side, at the next window. I heard Mr Astor ask the second officer whether he would not be allowed to go aboard this boat to protect his wife. He said, "No, sir, no man is allowed on this boat or any of the boats until the ladies are off." Mr Astor then said, "Well, tell me what is the number of this boat so I may find her afterwards," or words to that effect. The answer came back, "Number 4."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.titanicinquiry.org/USInq/AmInq11Gracie01.php |website=United States Senate Inquiry into the Titanic|title= Online reference}}</ref> According to child survivor Betty, as quoted on ''Children on the Titanic'' (2014), Astor was boarding the final lifeboat with his pregnant wife when he saw two scared children on deck and stepped aside, giving his place to them.<!--can be seen on ''Children on the Titanic'' (2014) - timestamp 31:30" on [[Hulu Plus]]--> A conflicting news article posted in the ''Chicago Record Herald'' tells of Astor placing his wife into the final lifeboat then ordering Ida Sophia Hippach and her 17-year-old daughter Jean Gertrude to take the final two places before the boat set sail.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chicagoans saved by Astor - Chicago Record Herald|url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/chicagoans-saved-by-astor.html|accessdate=1 March 2015|publisher=Encyclopedia Titanica|date=22 April 1912}}</ref>


<blockquote>She was lifted up through the window, and her husband helped her on the other side, and when she got in, her husband was on one side of this window and I was on the other side, at the next window. I heard Mr Astor ask the second officer whether he would not be allowed to go aboard this boat to protect his wife. He said, "No, sir, no man is allowed on this boat or any of the boats until the ladies are off." Mr. Astor then said (something to the effect of) "Well, tell me the number of this boat so I may find her afterwards" and was told "Number 4."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.titanicinquiry.org/USInq/AmInq11Gracie01.php |website=United States Senate Inquiry into the Titanic|title= Online reference}}</ref></blockquote>
After Lifeboat 4 was lowered at 1:55 am, Astor is said to have stood alone while others tried to free the remaining collapsible boats;<ref name=titanic/> he was last seen alive on the starboard bridge wing, smoking a cigarette with [[Jacques Futrelle]]. A mere half hour later, the ship disappeared beneath the ocean. Survivor Philip Mock claimed to have seen Astor in the water clinging to a raft with [[William Thomas Stead]]. "Their feet became frozen," said Mock, "and they were forced to release their hold. Both were drowned."<ref>{{cite news|url =http://www.attackingthedevil.co.uk/titanic/worcester.php |title=Stead and Astor cling to Raft| work=Worcester Telegram|date= April 20, 1912}}</ref> Madeleine Force Astor, her nurse, and her maid survived. Colonel Astor, his valet, Victor Robbins, and Futrelle did not.


A news article posted in the ''[[Chicago Record-Herald|Chicago Record Herald]]'' tells of Astor placing his wife into the final lifeboat then ordering Ida Sophia Hippach and her 17-year-old daughter Jean Gertrude to take the final two places before the boat was lowered away.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chicagoans saved by Astor – Chicago Record Herald|url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/chicagoans-saved-by-astor.html|access-date=1 March 2015|publisher=Encyclopedia Titanica|date=22 April 1912}}</ref> 11-year old Master Elias Nicola-Yarred and his 14-year old sister Jamilia also made it to the boat, stating that Astor turned to help other passengers into the boat, including Yarred and his sister.{{sfn|Fitch|Layton|Wormstedt|2012|p=222}} After Lifeboat 4 was lowered at 1:55 am, Astor is said to have stood with John Thayer, Harry Widner and Arthur Ryerson, waving.<ref name=titanic/> ''Titanic'' sank at 2:20&nbsp;a.m, on April 15. Madeleine Force Astor, her nurse, and her maid survived. Colonel Astor, his valet, Victor Robbins, Kitty and Futrelle did not.
In the aftermath, ships were sent out to retrieve the bodies from the site of the sinking; of the 1,517 passengers and crew who perished in the sinking, only 333 bodies were ever recovered. Astor's body was recovered on April 22 by the cable ship ''[[CS Mackay-Bennett|Mackay-Bennett]]''.<ref name=titanic>{{cite encyclopedia |editor= |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Titanica]] |title=John Jacob Astor IV |url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-biography/john-jacob-astor.html |isbn= |quote=Colonel John Jacob Astor IV was born in Rhinebeck, New York on July 13th, 1864 the son of William Astor and great-grandson of John Jacob Astor the fur trader. Astor was educated at St. Paul's School, Concord and later went to Harvard. After a period of travelling abroad (1888–91) he returned to the United States to manage the family fortune. He had homes at 840 Fifth Avenue, New York and at Ferncliff, Rhinebeck, New York..... | accessdate=2010-10-27 }}</ref> Astor was identified by the initials sewn on the label of his jacket. Among the items found on him was a gold [[pocket watch]] which his son Vincent claimed and wore the rest of his life.<ref>{{cite news |last=Belcher |first=David |date=28 November 2013 |title=Tracing a Precious Relic of the Titanic |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/29/fashion/tracing-a-precious-relic-of-the-titanic.html?_r=0 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=14 June 2016 }}</ref>


[[File:Waltham Riverside 19j Hunter.jpg|thumb| alt= 1903 Waltham Riverside | Gold [[Waltham Watch Company | Waltham]] pocket watch similar to the one Astor wore aboard [[RMS Titanic|RMS ''Titanic'']]]]
{{quotation|
In the aftermath, ships were sent out to retrieve the bodies from the site of the sinking; of the 1,517 passengers and crew who perished in the sinking, only 333 bodies were ever recovered. Astor's body was recovered on April 22 by the cable ship {{ship|CS|Mackay-Bennett||2}}.<ref name=titanic>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Titanica]] |title=John Jacob Astor IV |url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-biography/john-jacob-astor.html | access-date=2010-10-27 }}</ref> Astor was identified by the initials sewn on the label of his jacket. Among the items found on him was a gold [[pocket watch]], which his son Vincent claimed and wore the rest of his life.<ref>{{cite news |last=Media |first=PA |date=27 April 2024 |title=Tracing a Precious Relic of the Titanic |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/29/fashion/tracing-a-precious-relic-of-the-titanic.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=14 June 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Waterson |first=Jim |date=2021-09-26 |title=Gold pocket watch of richest man on Titanic fetches record-breaking £1.2m |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/apr/27/gold-pocket-watch-of-richest-man-on-titanic-fetches-record-breaking-12m |access-date=2024-04-28 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> It was later reported that "in 1935, Vincent gave the watch as a christening gift to the infant son of William Dobbyn IV, John Jacob Astor’s executive secretary". The pocket watch was sold for £1.175 million at auction on April 27, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nicholls |first=Emily Blumenthal, Catherine |date=2024-04-26 |title=Gold watch worn by richest passenger aboard Titanic sells for record-breaking $1.5 million |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/style/john-jacob-astor-watch-titanic-scli-intl-gbr/index.html |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>
:'''NO. 124 – MALE – ESTIMATED AGE 50 – LIGHT HAIR & MOUSTACHE.'''


{{blockquote|
:'''CLOTHING''' – Blue serge suit; blue handkerchief with "A.V."; belt with gold buckle; brown boots with red rubber soles; brown flannel shirt; "J.J.A." on back of collar.
'''NO. 124 – MALE – ESTIMATED AGE 50 – LIGHT HAIR & MOUSTACHE.'''


:'''EFFECTS''' – Gold watch; cuff links, gold with diamond; diamond ring with three stones; £225 in English notes; $2440 in notes; £5 in gold; 7s. in silver; 5 ten franc pieces; gold pencil; pocketbook.
'''CLOTHING''' – Blue serge suit; blue handkerchief with "A.V."; belt with gold buckle; brown boots with red rubber soles; brown flannel shirt; "J.J.A." on back of collar.


'''EFFECTS''' – Gold watch; cuff links, gold with diamond; diamond ring with three stones; £225 in English notes; $2440 in notes; £5 in gold; 7s. in silver; 5 ten franc pieces; gold pencil; pocketbook.
:'''FIRST CLASS. NAME- J.J. ASTOR IV'''<ref name="titanic"/>

'''FIRST CLASS. NAME- J.J. ASTOR IV'''<ref name="titanic"/>
}}
}}


In his memoir, Gracie claimed that he heard Astor's body was in a crushed condition; this led to popular belief that Astor may have been one of the swimmers killed by the first [[Funnel (ship)|funnel]] falling from the ship.<ref>''National Geographic'', December 1985, Vol. 168, No.6 page 712</ref> This is disputed by John Snow, an undertaker aboard the ship, who said that the body was in an ‘excellent state of preservation’, and Captain Richard Roberts, the commander of Astor's yacht, who said that apart from some slight discolouration by water, Astor's features were unharmed. Gerald Ross, an electrician on the ''Mackay-Bennett'', reported that Astor's "face was swollen, one jaw was injured."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wormstedt.com/GeorgeBehe/page12.htm |title=The Two Deaths of John Jacob Astor -George Behe's "Titanic" Tidbits}}</ref> Author Tim Maltin<!--Q119846417--> writes that Astor’s jaw injury was relatively slight and could have been caused by his lifebelt, if he jumped from Titanic, or by other drowning passengers or debris as the ship sank.<ref name="google1">[https://books.google.com/books?id=jT-8P9ykSkcC&dq=titanic+101+things+bride+smith&pg=PT96 101 Things You Thought You Knew About the Titanic - But Didn't!] at Google Books.co.uk</ref> Among the more dubious accounts, Dr. Washington Dodge says he saw Astor standing with [[Archibald Butt]] near the bridge as the ship went down.<ref>Mowbray, p. 113.</ref> Dodge's account is highly unlikely, as his lifeboat was more than {{convert|0.5|mi|km}} away from the ship at the time it sank.<ref>Barczewski, p. 60.</ref> Survivor Philip Mock was quoted as claiming to have seen Astor in the water clinging to a raft with [[William Thomas Stead]]. "Their feet became frozen," said Mock, "and they were forced to release their hold. Both were drowned."<ref>{{cite news|url =http://www.attackingthedevil.co.uk/titanic/worcester.php |title=Stead and Astor cling to Raft| work=Worcester Telegram|date= April 20, 1912}}</ref> Mock's account is unlikely as he left the ship in Boat No.11.
Astor was buried in [[Trinity Church Cemetery]] in Manhattan, New York City. Four months after the ''Titanic'' sank, Madeleine Astor gave birth to his second son, [[John Jacob Astor VI|John Jacob "Jakey" Astor VI]].<ref name=titanic/><ref>{{cite news |title=Son for Mrs. Astor. Named for Father. Both Mother and Baby Said to be Very Well, the Child Strong and Well Formed. |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B0DE6DB113AE633A25756C1A96E9C946396D6CF |quote=Baby is the Sixth John Jacob Astor. Mrs. Madeleine Force Astor, survivor of the Titanic..... |newspaper=The New York Times|publisher=Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. |date=August 15, 1912|accessdate=June 22, 2008 }}</ref>


Astor was buried in [[Trinity Church Cemetery]] in Manhattan, New York City. Four months after ''Titanic'' sank, Madeleine Astor gave birth to his second son, [[John Jacob Astor VI|John Jacob "Jakey" Astor VI]].<ref name=titanic/><ref>{{cite news |title=Son for Mrs. Astor. Named for Father. Both Mother and Baby Said to be Very Well, the Child Strong and Well Formed. |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B0DE6DB113AE633A25756C1A96E9C946396D6CF |quote=Baby is the Sixth John Jacob Astor. Mrs. Madeleine Force Astor, survivor of the Titanic. ... . |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 15, 1912|access-date=June 22, 2008 }}</ref>
==Will==
Astor left $69 million of his $85 million estate (equivalent to approximately ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|69000000|1912|r=0}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US}} to Vincent.<ref>{{cite web|title=Astor Bequests Have All Been Paid|url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/astor-bequests-have-all-been-paid.html|newspaper=The New York Times|publisher=Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr.|accessdate=20 April 2012}}</ref> This value included his estate in [[Rhinebeck (village), New York|Rhinebeck]] and his yacht, the ''[[USS Noma (SP-131)|Noma]]''. To Madeleine Force Astor, he left $100,000 as an outright bequest as well as a $5 million trust fund from which she was provided an income. Additionally she was given the use of his [[New York City]] mansion at 65th Street & Fifth Avenue and all its furnishings, his [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]] mansion [[Beechwood (mansion)|Beechwood]] and all its furnishings, pick of whichever luxury limousine she wanted from his collection, and five of his prized horses—as long as she did not remarry. His daughter Ava (who lived with her mother, also named Ava) received a $10 million trust fund. Upon turning 21, John Jacob VI inherited the $3 million trust fund Astor had set aside for him.<ref name=MoneyForJakey>{{cite web|title=Astor Estate Goes To Son|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QupgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=u2MNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2415,1723472&dq=madeleine+force+astor&hl=en|publisher=The Evening News|date=7 May 1912}}</ref>


==Legacy==
==Estate==
[[File:Mrs. Astor mansion 1895.jpg|thumb|[[Mrs. William B. Astor House|840 Fifth Avenue]] in Manhattan]]
Astor's prominence led to the creation of many exaggerated and unsubstantiated accounts about his actions during the sinking of the ''Titanic''. One story alleges that he opened the ship's [[kennel]] and released the dogs, including his own beloved Airedale, Kitty; in another, he placed a woman's hat on a boy to make sure the child was able to get into a lifeboat. Another legend claims that after the ship hit the iceberg, he quipped, "I asked for ice, but this is ridiculous." These stories appeared in newspapers, magazines, and even books about the sinking. In reality, none of the claims about Astor's actions were substantiated, as nobody who recognized him survived other than the women who boarded lifeboats relatively early on.<ref name=wade>{{cite book |last=Wade |first=Wyn Craig |title=Titanic: End of a Dream |publisher=Penguin Books |orig-year=1979, 1986 (revised) |location=New York City |pages=70–73 |isbn=978-0140166910}}</ref> Wade wrote that the ice joke is almost certainly apocryphal, as Astor was not known for making jokes, and that the story about the hat (like many other "survivor stories" published shortly after the sinking) may have been invented by the reporter.<ref name=wade/> Another legend is that Astor was crushed to death by one of the ship's falling [[smokestack|funnels]].<ref>''National Geographic'', December 1985, Vol. 168, No.6 page 712</ref> However, this legend was not true.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wormstedt.com/GeorgeBehe/page12.htm |title=The Two Deaths of John Jacob Astor -George Behe's "Titanic" Tidbits}}</ref>smelly toes
[[File:Astors Beechwood Mansion (2966829057).jpg|thumb|right|[[Beechwood (Astor mansion)|Beechwood]], the Astors' summer home in [[Newport, Rhode Island]]]]
Astor left $69 million of his $85 million estate (US${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|85000000|1912}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}{{Inflation-fn|US}}) to Vincent.<ref>{{cite web|title=Astor Bequests Have All Been Paid|url=http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/astor-bequests-have-all-been-paid.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 2004 |access-date=20 April 2012}}</ref> This value included his [[Ferncliff Farm|Ferncliff]] country estate in [[Rhinebeck (town), New York|Rhinebeck, New York]], and his yacht, the ''[[USS Noma (SP-131)|Noma]]''.


To Madeleine Force Astor, he left $100,000 (US${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|100000|1912}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}{{Inflation-fn|US}}) as an outright bequest, as well as a $5 million trust fund (US${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|5000000|1912}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}{{Inflation-fn|US}}) from which she was provided an income. Additionally, she was given the use of his [[New York City]] mansion ([[Mrs. William B. Astor House|840 Fifth Avenue]] in Manhattan) and all its furnishings, his [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]] mansion ([[Beechwood (Astor mansion)|Beechwood]]) and all its furnishings, the pick of whichever luxury limousine she wanted from his collection, and five of his prized horses—as long as she did not remarry.

His daughter Ava (who lived with her mother, also named Ava) received a $10 million trust fund (US${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|10000000|1912}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}{{Inflation-fn|US}}). Upon turning 21, John Jacob VI inherited the $3 million trust fund Astor had set aside for him (US${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|3000000|1912}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}{{Inflation-fn|US}}).<ref name=MoneyForJakey>{{cite web|title=Astor Estate Goes To Son|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QupgAAAAIBAJ&pg=2415,1723472|publisher=The Evening News|date=7 May 1912}}</ref>

==Legacy==
===Portrayals===
===Portrayals===
{{div col}}
Astor's fame has made him a frequent character in films about the ''Titanic''. German actor [[Karl Schönböck]] played Astor in the 1943 [[Nazi]] propaganda film ''[[Titanic (1943 film)|Titanic]]''. William Johnstone played Astor in the 1953 film ''[[Titanic (1953 film)|Titanic]]'', and in the 1997 version of ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' he was played by [[Eric Braeden]]. In the 1996 miniseries, he was played by [[Scott Hylands]]. Astor was also portrayed by [[David Janssen]] in the 1979 film ''[[S.O.S. Titanic]]''. Perennially, in the town of [[Astoria, Oregon]] (so named for [[John Jacob Astor|Astor's patrilineal great-grandfather]]), he is portrayed by a local amateur actor in street corner vignettes. He was played by [[Miles Richardson]] in the [[Titanic (2012 TV miniseries)|2012 Titanic miniseries]]. In April 2012, Astor was portrayed by his great-grandson Gregory Todd Astor in "Titanic the Musical".<ref name=GreatGrandsonPlay>{{cite web|last=Hallenbeck|first=Brent|title=Born to Play the Role|url=http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120202/ENT/120320026/|publisher=[[The Burlington Free Press]]|date=March 20, 2012|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://archive.is/20131204042233/http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120202/ENT/120320026/|archivedate=December 4, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* [[Karl Schönböck]] (1943) ''[[Titanic (1943 film)|Titanic]]''
* [[William Johnstone (actor)|William Johnstone]] (1953) ''[[Titanic (1953 film)|Titanic]]''
* [[David Janssen]] (1979) ''[[S.O.S. Titanic]]'' (TV Movie)
* [[Scott Hylands]] (1996) ''[[Titanic (1996 miniseries)|Titanic]]'' (miniseries)
* [[Eric Braeden]] (1997) ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''
* Federico Zambrano (2003) ''[[Ghosts of the Abyss]]''; Documentary
* [[Miles Richardson]] (2012) ''[[Titanic (2012 TV miniseries)|Titanic]]''; TV series/3 episodes)
* Astor was portrayed by his great-grandson Gregory Todd Astor in an April 2012 production of the Broadway musical ''[[Titanic (musical)|Titanic]]''.<ref name=GreatGrandsonPlay>{{cite web|last=Hallenbeck|first=Brent|title=Born to Play the Role|url=http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120202/ENT/120320026/|newspaper=[[The Burlington Free Press]]|date=March 20, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131204042233/http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120202/ENT/120320026/|archive-date=December 4, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* Brittany Daley (2022) ''[[Titanic 666]]''
{{end div col}}


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book
| last1 = Fitch
| first1 = Tad
| last2 = Layton
| first2 = J. Kent
| last3 =Wormstedt | first3 = Bill
| year = 2012
| title = On A Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of the R.M.S. Titanic
| publisher = Amberley Books
| isbn = 978-1848689275
}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{commons category}}
* {{Gutenberg author |id=Astor,+John+Jacob}}
{{Wikisource author}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=John Jacob Astor}}
* {{Gutenberg author |id=671}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=John Jacob Astor|sopt=t}}
* {{cite BDA1906 |wstitle= Astor, John Jacob (soldier) |volume= 1 |page= 157 |year=1906 |short=1}}
* {{Librivox author |id=5100}}
* {{Librivox author |id=5100}}
* {{Find a Grave|4390}}
* {{Wikisource-inline|list=
** {{Cite Appletons'|wstitle=Astor, John Jacob (capitalist)|display=Astor, John Jacob, capitalist|year=1900|notaref=x |short=x |noicon=x}} An article on his uncle in which he is mentioned.
** {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Astor, John Jacob (capitalist)|display=Astor, John Jacob. An American capitalist, inventor, and soldier|year=1905|short=x |noicon=x}}
** {{Cite Americana|wstitle=Astor, John Jacob (inventor)|display=Astor, John Jacob, American capitalist and inventor |short=x |noicon=x}}
** {{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Astor, John Jacob (capitalist)|display=Astor, John Jacob, an American capitalist|short=x |noicon=x}}
}}
* [http://news.hrvh.org/cgi-bin/newshrvh?a=d&cl=search&d=kingstondaily19120503.2.136 Funeral of Col. Astor] at news.hrvh.org
* [http://news.hrvh.org/cgi-bin/newshrvh?a=d&cl=search&d=kingstondaily19120503.2.136 Funeral of Col. Astor] at news.hrvh.org


Line 109: Line 150:
[[Category:1864 births]]
[[Category:1864 births]]
[[Category:1912 deaths]]
[[Category:1912 deaths]]
[[Category:St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire) alumni]]
[[Category:19th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:Victims of the RMS Titanic]]
[[Category:19th-century American inventors]]
[[Category:Astor family|John Jacob]]
[[Category:19th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:RMS Titanic's crew and passengers]]
[[Category:19th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century American inventors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category: American company founders]]
[[Category:American military personnel of the Spanish–American War]]
[[Category:American military personnel of the Spanish–American War]]
[[Category:American investors]]
[[Category:American investors]]
[[Category:American hoteliers]]
[[Category:American hoteliers]]
[[Category:American science fiction writers]]
[[Category:Astor family|John Jacob]]
[[Category:Burials at Trinity Church Cemetery]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Newport, Rhode Island]]
[[Category:Gilded Age]]
[[Category:Gilded Age]]
[[Category:People from Rhinebeck, New York]]
[[Category:Deaths on the RMS Titanic]]
[[Category:Harvard College alumni]]
[[Category:Hotel founders]]
[[Category:Inventors from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Inventors from Rhode Island]]
[[Category:Livingston family]]
[[Category:Livingston family]]
[[Category:19th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:New York (state) Republicans]]
[[Category:New York (state) Republicans]]
[[Category:Novelists from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Novelists from Rhode Island]]
[[Category:People from Rhinebeck, New York]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Manhattan]]
[[Category:People from the Upper East Side]]
[[Category:St. Paul's School (New Hampshire) alumni]]
[[Category:Schermerhorn family]]
[[Category:United States Army colonels]]
[[Category:United States Army colonels]]
[[Category:Burials at Trinity Church Cemetery]]
[[Category:Writers from Manhattan]]
[[Category:Writers from Newport, Rhode Island]]
[[Category:American people of Dutch descent]]

Latest revision as of 02:00, 8 December 2024

John Jacob Astor IV
Astor in 1895
Born(1864-07-13)July 13, 1864
Rhinebeck, New York, U.S.
DiedApril 15, 1912(1912-04-15) (aged 47)
North Atlantic Ocean
Cause of deathSinking of the Titanic
Burial placeTrinity Church Cemetery
New York City, U.S.
Education
OccupationBusiness magnate
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1891; div. 1910)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1911)​
Children
Parent(s)William Backhouse Astor Jr.
Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn
RelativesAstor family
Signature

John Jacob Astor IV (July 13, 1864 – April 15, 1912) was an American business magnate, real estate developer, investor, writer, lieutenant colonel in the Spanish–American War, and a prominent member of the Astor family. He was among the most prominent American passengers aboard RMS Titanic and perished along with 1,495 others when the ship sank on her maiden voyage.[1] Astor was the richest passenger aboard the RMS Titanic and was thought to be among the richest people in the world at that time, with a net worth of roughly $87 million (equivalent to $2.75 billion in 2023) when he died.[2][3]

Early life, education, and family

[edit]
Astor in 1909
Astor as Henry IV of France

John Jacob Astor IV was born on July 13, 1864, at his parents' country estate of Ferncliff in Rhinebeck, New York. He was the youngest of five children and only son of William Backhouse Astor Jr., a businessman, collector, and racehorse breeder/owner, and Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn, a Dutch-American socialite. His four elder sisters were Emily, Helen, Charlotte, and Carrie.

John was a great-grandson of German–American fur-trader John Jacob Astor and Sarah Cox Todd, whose fortune made the Astor family one of the wealthiest in the United States. Astor's paternal grandfather William Backhouse Astor Sr. was a prominent real estate businessman. Through his paternal grandmother, Margaret Alida Rebecca Armstrong, Astor was also a great-grandson of Senator John Armstrong Jr. and Alida Livingston of the Livingston family. His maternal grandparents were Abraham Schermerhorn, a wealthy merchant, and socialite Helen Van Courtlandt White. His sister Helen's husband was diplomat James Roosevelt "Rosey" Roosevelt, half-brother of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt of the Roosevelt family. Another sister, named Carrie, was a noted philanthropist and the wife of Marshall Orme Wilson (brother of banker Richard Thornton Wilson Jr. and socialite Grace (née Wilson) Vanderbilt). Astor was also a first cousin of William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor, with whom his mother had a notorious feud resulting in William's removal to England.

Astor attended St Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and later attended Harvard College.[4] He went by the name "Jack". His ungainly appearance and the perception that he was an aimless dilettante led one newspaper to give him the name "Jack Ass-tor".[5][6]

Career

[edit]

Among Astor's accomplishments was A Journey in Other Worlds (1894), a science-fiction novel about life in the year 2000 on the planets Saturn and Jupiter.[7] He also patented several inventions, including a bicycle brake in 1898, a "vibratory disintegrator" used to produce gas from peat moss, and a pneumatic road-improver, and he helped develop a turbine engine.

Like generations of Astors before him, he also made millions in real estate. In 1897, Astor built the Astoria Hotel, "the world's most luxurious hotel",[8] in New York City, adjoining the Waldorf Hotel owned by Astor's cousin and rival, William. The complex became known as the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The Waldorf-Astoria would later be the host location to the U.S. inquiries into the sinking of the RMS Titanic, on which Astor died.[4]

Military service

[edit]
Astor Battery on parade, January 1899

From 1894 to 1896, he was a colonel on the military staff of New York Governor Levi P. Morton.[9] Shortly after the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in 1898, Astor personally financed a volunteer artillery unit known as the "Astor Battery", which served in the Philippines. In May 1898, Astor was appointed a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Volunteers and served as an officer on the staff of Major General William Shafter in Cuba, during the Santiago Campaign. He was later given a brevet (war/temporary promotion) to colonel in recognition of his services.[10] He was mustered out of the Volunteer Army in November 1898.

During the war, he allowed his yacht Nourmahal to be used by the U.S. government. He appeared in the films President McKinley's Inspection of Camp Wikoff (1898) and Col. John Jacob Astor, Staff and Veterans of the Spanish–American War (1899).[4] As a result of his military service, Astor was entitled to the Spanish Campaign Medal. After the war, Astor was often referred to as "Colonel Astor."[11]

Astor was a member of several military and hereditary societies. He was an early member of the New York Society of Colonial Wars and was assigned membership number 138. He was also a member of the Military Order of Foreign Wars, Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba,[12] and the Society of the American Wars of the United States.[citation needed]

Personal life

[edit]
Astor and his second wife Madeleine Talmage Force

On February 17, 1891,[13] Astor married socialite Ava Lowle Willing, a daughter of Edward Shippen Willing and Alice Barton. The couple had two children:

Astor and Willing divorced in November 1909. Compounding the scandal of their divorce was Astor's announcement that he would remarry.[4] On September 9, 1911, the 47-year-old Astor married 18-year-old socialite Madeleine Talmage Force, the sister of real estate businesswoman and socialite Katherine Emmons Force. Their parents were William Hurlbut Force and Katherine Arvilla Talmage. Astor and Force were married in his mother's ballroom at Beechwood, the family's Newport, Rhode Island, mansion. There was also much controversy over their 29-year age difference.[14] His son Vincent despised Force,[15] yet he served as best man at his father's wedding.[16] The couple took an extended honeymoon in Europe and Egypt to wait for the gossip to calm down. Among the few Americans who did not spurn him at this time was Margaret Brown, later fictionalized as The Unsinkable Molly Brown. She accompanied the Astors to Egypt and France. After receiving a call to return to the United States, Brown accompanied the couple back home aboard RMS Titanic.[4]

Residence

[edit]
Ferncliff, the Astor family's country estate in Rhinebeck, New York

Astor's country estate, Ferncliff, was north of the town center in Rhinebeck, New York, with 1+1⁄2 miles (2.5 kilometers) of Hudson River frontage in the picturesque Lower Hudson River Valley. The land had been purchased piecemeal by his father during the mid 19th century. Astor was born there.[17]

His father's Italianate mansion of 1864 was partly rebuilt in 1904 to designs by Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White. The house retained its conservative exterior, and a separate sports pavilion in the Louis XVI style was built. This was Stanford White's last project before he died.[18]

The "Ferncliff Casino" sports pavilion (later called "Astor Courts") reportedly housed the first residential indoor swimming pool in the U.S., an indoor tennis court with vaulting of Guastavino tile, two squash courts, and guest bedrooms. On the lower level, there was a bowling alley and a shooting range.[19]

The estate was reduced to 50 acres (200,000 m2) and was renamed "Astor Courts", eventually becoming a wedding venue.

Titanic

[edit]
Astor with his wife, Madeleine Force Astor, and their Airedale, Kitty
The New York Herald report of the sinking of Titanic. Most reports featured the Astors in the headlines.

While traveling, Madeleine Force Astor became pregnant. Wanting the child born in the U.S., the Astors boarded Titanic on her maiden voyage to New York. They embarked in Cherbourg, France via the SS Nomadic, in first class and were the wealthiest passengers aboard. Accompanying the Astors were Astor's valet, Victor Robbins; Mrs. Astor's maid, Rosalie Bidois; and her nurse, Caroline Louise Endres. They also took their pet dog, an Airedale Terrier named Kitty. The Astors were deeply fond of their dog and had come close to losing her on a previous trip when she went missing in Egypt. Kitty did not survive the sinking.[20][21] They had met up with Margaret "Molly" Brown traveling through Egypt. According to Edith Rosenbaum, Astor pointed out some vital statistics of the ship, and said, "She's unsinkable, a modern shipbuilding miracle."[22] On April 14, when Captain Edward J. Smith attended a large dinner party in B Deck restaurant, Salon Steward Thomas Whiteley stated that Smith "talked and joked with Mr Astor.[23] Shortly after Titanic hit the iceberg, Isaac Frauenthal saw Astor approach Captain Smith and tell him, "Captain, my wife is not in good health. She has gone to bed, and I don't want to get her up unless it is absolutely necessary. What is the situation?" Smith advised Astor to awaken his wife, as they might have to take to the boats. Astor "never changed expression...thanked the Captain courteously and walked rapidly, but composedly away".[24] Astor informed his wife of the collision but told her the damage did not appear to be serious. He and his wife and other passengers talked about the collision with the iceberg. Some time later, as the ship's lifeboats for first class were being manned, Astor remained unperturbed; he and his wife played with the mechanical horses in the gymnasium. At some point Astor is thought to have sliced the lining of an extra lifebelt with a pen knife to show his wife its contents, either to prove they were not of use or to reassure her that they were. He even declared: "We are safer here than in that little boat."[25]: 73–74 [4]

At boat No.7, Astor and his wife were about to board when Astor drew back and pulled his wife back with him. Someone said something to Astor, but it is unknown what was said.[26] On A Deck, Lily May Peel saw Astor smoking a cigarette with Jacques Futrelle.[27] When Second Officer Charles Lightoller later arrived on A Deck to finish loading Lifeboat 4, Astor helped his wife, with her maid and nurse, into it. He then asked if he might join his wife because she was in "a delicate condition;" however, Lightoller told him men were not to be allowed to board until all the women and children had been loaded. Astor did not protest, simply kissed his wife, telling her that he would follow in another boat. According to Titanic passenger Archibald Gracie IV who also helped Astor's wife into the boat;

She was lifted up through the window, and her husband helped her on the other side, and when she got in, her husband was on one side of this window and I was on the other side, at the next window. I heard Mr Astor ask the second officer whether he would not be allowed to go aboard this boat to protect his wife. He said, "No, sir, no man is allowed on this boat or any of the boats until the ladies are off." Mr. Astor then said (something to the effect of) "Well, tell me the number of this boat so I may find her afterwards" and was told "Number 4."[28]

A news article posted in the Chicago Record Herald tells of Astor placing his wife into the final lifeboat then ordering Ida Sophia Hippach and her 17-year-old daughter Jean Gertrude to take the final two places before the boat was lowered away.[29] 11-year old Master Elias Nicola-Yarred and his 14-year old sister Jamilia also made it to the boat, stating that Astor turned to help other passengers into the boat, including Yarred and his sister.[30] After Lifeboat 4 was lowered at 1:55 am, Astor is said to have stood with John Thayer, Harry Widner and Arthur Ryerson, waving.[4] Titanic sank at 2:20 a.m, on April 15. Madeleine Force Astor, her nurse, and her maid survived. Colonel Astor, his valet, Victor Robbins, Kitty and Futrelle did not.

1903 Waltham Riverside
Gold Waltham pocket watch similar to the one Astor wore aboard RMS Titanic

In the aftermath, ships were sent out to retrieve the bodies from the site of the sinking; of the 1,517 passengers and crew who perished in the sinking, only 333 bodies were ever recovered. Astor's body was recovered on April 22 by the cable ship Mackay-Bennett.[4] Astor was identified by the initials sewn on the label of his jacket. Among the items found on him was a gold pocket watch, which his son Vincent claimed and wore the rest of his life.[31][32] It was later reported that "in 1935, Vincent gave the watch as a christening gift to the infant son of William Dobbyn IV, John Jacob Astor’s executive secretary". The pocket watch was sold for £1.175 million at auction on April 27, 2024.[33]

NO. 124 – MALE – ESTIMATED AGE 50 – LIGHT HAIR & MOUSTACHE.

CLOTHING – Blue serge suit; blue handkerchief with "A.V."; belt with gold buckle; brown boots with red rubber soles; brown flannel shirt; "J.J.A." on back of collar.

EFFECTS – Gold watch; cuff links, gold with diamond; diamond ring with three stones; £225 in English notes; $2440 in notes; £5 in gold; 7s. in silver; 5 ten franc pieces; gold pencil; pocketbook.

FIRST CLASS. NAME- J.J. ASTOR IV[4]

In his memoir, Gracie claimed that he heard Astor's body was in a crushed condition; this led to popular belief that Astor may have been one of the swimmers killed by the first funnel falling from the ship.[34] This is disputed by John Snow, an undertaker aboard the ship, who said that the body was in an ‘excellent state of preservation’, and Captain Richard Roberts, the commander of Astor's yacht, who said that apart from some slight discolouration by water, Astor's features were unharmed. Gerald Ross, an electrician on the Mackay-Bennett, reported that Astor's "face was swollen, one jaw was injured."[35] Author Tim Maltin writes that Astor’s jaw injury was relatively slight and could have been caused by his lifebelt, if he jumped from Titanic, or by other drowning passengers or debris as the ship sank.[36] Among the more dubious accounts, Dr. Washington Dodge says he saw Astor standing with Archibald Butt near the bridge as the ship went down.[37] Dodge's account is highly unlikely, as his lifeboat was more than 0.5 miles (0.80 km) away from the ship at the time it sank.[38] Survivor Philip Mock was quoted as claiming to have seen Astor in the water clinging to a raft with William Thomas Stead. "Their feet became frozen," said Mock, "and they were forced to release their hold. Both were drowned."[39] Mock's account is unlikely as he left the ship in Boat No.11.

Astor was buried in Trinity Church Cemetery in Manhattan, New York City. Four months after Titanic sank, Madeleine Astor gave birth to his second son, John Jacob "Jakey" Astor VI.[4][40]

Estate

[edit]
840 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan
Beechwood, the Astors' summer home in Newport, Rhode Island

Astor left $69 million of his $85 million estate (US$2.68 billion in 2023[2]) to Vincent.[41] This value included his Ferncliff country estate in Rhinebeck, New York, and his yacht, the Noma.

To Madeleine Force Astor, he left $100,000 (US$3.16 million in 2023[2]) as an outright bequest, as well as a $5 million trust fund (US$158 million in 2023[2]) from which she was provided an income. Additionally, she was given the use of his New York City mansion (840 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan) and all its furnishings, his Newport mansion (Beechwood) and all its furnishings, the pick of whichever luxury limousine she wanted from his collection, and five of his prized horses—as long as she did not remarry.

His daughter Ava (who lived with her mother, also named Ava) received a $10 million trust fund (US$316 million in 2023[2]). Upon turning 21, John Jacob VI inherited the $3 million trust fund Astor had set aside for him (US$94.7 million in 2023[2]).[42]

Legacy

[edit]

Portrayals

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Noted Men On The Lost Titanic. Col. Jacob Astor, with His Wife. Isidor Straus and Wife, and Benj. Guggenheim Aboard". The New York Times. April 16, 1912. Retrieved December 10, 2013. Following are sketches of a few of the well-known persons among the 1,300 passengers on the lost Titanic. The fate of most of them at this time is, of course, not known. Col. John Jacob Astor and Mrs. Astor, Isidor Straus and Mrs. Straus, J. Bruce Ismay, Managing Director of the White Star Line: Benjamin Guggenheim, and Frank D. Millet, the artist, are perhaps the most widely known of the passengers. ... .
  2. ^ a b c d e f 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  3. ^ "Col. John Jacob Astor left estate worth $86,966,611". Spartanburg Herald. South Carolina. Associated Press. June 14, 1913. p. 1.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "John Jacob Astor IV". Encyclopedia Titanica. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  5. ^ "An Age of Splendor, and Hotel One-Upmanship". The New York Times. June 18, 2006.
  6. ^ William Alan Morrison, Waldorf Astoria, Arcadia Publishing - 2014, page 29
  7. ^ Foster, John Wilson (2002). The Age of Titanic: Cross-Currents in Anglo-American Culture.
  8. ^ Turkel, Stanley (April 4, 2007). "The Original Waldorf/Astoria Hotel". hotelinteractive.com.
  9. ^ Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). "Astor, John Jacob. An American capitalist, inventor, and soldier" . New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
  10. ^ "Col. John Jacob Astor". The New York Times (April 16, 1912).
  11. ^ Sinclair, David (1984). Dynasty: The Astors and Their Times. Beaufort Books. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-8253-0223-7.
  12. ^ The American Almanac, Year-book, Cyclopaedia and Atlas. New York American and journal. 1902. p. 177.
  13. ^ "Colonel John Jacob Astor IV". Titanic History Website.
  14. ^ "Titanic Survivor Stories – Madeleine Talmage Force Astor". rmstitanic.net. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  15. ^ "Part II: Vincent, the Astor Who Gave Away the Money". NewYorkSocialDaily. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  16. ^ "Col. Astor Weds Madeleine Force". Encyclopedia Titanica. November 4, 2003. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  17. ^ Automobile Club of America (November 12, 1910). "Little Journeys to the Homes of Members: Ferncliff". The Club Journal. No. 2. p. 1002ff.
  18. ^ Goldberger, Paul (1985). A Monograph of the works of McKim, Mead & White, 1879–1915.
  19. ^ "About". AstorCourts.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  20. ^ "Fate of the pets who sailed on the Titanic". Lostandfond.co.uk. October 2, 2010. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  21. ^ "John Jacob Astor IV". titanic-passengers.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  22. ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 92.
  23. ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 130.
  24. ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 163-166.
  25. ^ Lord, Walter (1976). A Night to Remember. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-004757-8.
  26. ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 194.
  27. ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 213.
  28. ^ "Online reference". United States Senate Inquiry into the Titanic.
  29. ^ "Chicagoans saved by Astor – Chicago Record Herald". Encyclopedia Titanica. April 22, 1912. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  30. ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 222.
  31. ^ Media, PA (April 27, 2024). "Tracing a Precious Relic of the Titanic". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  32. ^ Waterson, Jim (September 26, 2021). "Gold pocket watch of richest man on Titanic fetches record-breaking £1.2m". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  33. ^ Nicholls, Emily Blumenthal, Catherine (April 26, 2024). "Gold watch worn by richest passenger aboard Titanic sells for record-breaking $1.5 million". CNN. Retrieved April 28, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  34. ^ National Geographic, December 1985, Vol. 168, No.6 page 712
  35. ^ "The Two Deaths of John Jacob Astor -George Behe's "Titanic" Tidbits".
  36. ^ 101 Things You Thought You Knew About the Titanic - But Didn't! at Google Books.co.uk
  37. ^ Mowbray, p. 113.
  38. ^ Barczewski, p. 60.
  39. ^ "Stead and Astor cling to Raft". Worcester Telegram. April 20, 1912.
  40. ^ "Son for Mrs. Astor. Named for Father. Both Mother and Baby Said to be Very Well, the Child Strong and Well Formed". The New York Times. August 15, 1912. Retrieved June 22, 2008. Baby is the Sixth John Jacob Astor. Mrs. Madeleine Force Astor, survivor of the Titanic. ... .
  41. ^ "Astor Bequests Have All Been Paid". The New York Times. September 2004. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  42. ^ "Astor Estate Goes To Son". The Evening News. May 7, 1912.
  43. ^ Hallenbeck, Brent (March 20, 2012). "Born to Play the Role". The Burlington Free Press. Archived from the original on December 4, 2013.

Sources

[edit]
  • Fitch, Tad; Layton, J. Kent; Wormstedt, Bill (2012). On A Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of the R.M.S. Titanic. Amberley Books. ISBN 978-1848689275.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Jacob Astor IV.
Wikisource has original works by or about:
John Jacob Astor IV
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=John_Jacob_Astor_IV&oldid=1261809870"