Cornelius Vanderbilt III
| Cornelius Vanderbilt III | |
|---|---|
Vanderbilt III circa 1915 to 1918
|
|
| Born |
September 5, 1873 New York City |
| Died | March 1, 1942 (aged 68) Miami Beach, Florida |
| Cause of death | Cerebral hemorrhage |
| Resting place | Moravian Cemetery |
| Residence | 640 Fifth Avenue |
| Other names | Neily Vanderbilt |
| Education |
St. Paul's School Yale University |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Grace Graham Wilson |
| Children |
Cornelius Vanderbilt IV Grace Vanderbilt |
| Parent(s) |
Cornelius Vanderbilt II Alice Claypoole Gwynne |
Cornelius "Neily" Vanderbilt III (September 5, 1873 – March 1, 1942) was an American military officer, inventor, engineer, and yachtsman. He was a member of the Vanderbilt family.
He was born in New York City on September 5, 1873 to Cornelius Vanderbilt II and Alice Claypoole Gwynne. He was educated by private tutors at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire before attending Yale University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1895. Against his father's wishes, in August 1896 he married Grace Graham Wilson, the youngest child of New York banker Richard Thornton Wilson, Sr. and Melissa Clementine Johnston. Remaining at Yale until 1899, he earned a Bachelor of Philosophy degree and, having a great deal of interest in the technical aspects of his family’s railroad business, he also earned a degree in mechanical engineering.
Upon his father's death in 1899 Neily received $500,000 in cash and the income from a $1 million trust fund. The bulk of his father's $70 million estate went to Neily's brother, Alfred, who then helped Neily by giving him $6 million. However, as a result of his parents' attitude towards his marriage, it would be 27 years after his father's death before he finally reconciled with his aging mother. Neily and Grace remained married for the rest of their lives and had two children, Cornelius IV (1898–1974), who would marry seven times, and a daughter, Grace (September 25, 1899 - January 28, 1964).
Neily Vanderbilt was an inveterate tinkerer with all things mechanical and patented more than thirty inventions for improving locomotives and freight cars, including several which brought him a significant royalty income. Some of the most important were a corrugated firebox for locomotives that resulted in a substantial increase in fuel efficiency, a cylindrical styled tank car for the transport of bulk oil, and a revolutionary type of locomotive tender. In addition, on his travels to London and Paris he saw the potential for adapting their subway systems for use in New York City and partnered with August Belmont, Jr. to establish the Interborough Rapid Transit Company for the construction of the city's first subway.
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