Merriweather Post
| Marjorie Merriweather Post | |
|---|---|
Post in 1942
|
|
| Born |
March 15, 1887 Springfield, Illinois |
| Died | September 12, 1973 (aged 86) Hillwood Estate, Washington, D.C. |
| Alma mater | Mount Vernon Seminary and College |
| Occupation | Postum Cereal Company, General Foods owner; philanthropist, socialite |
| Net worth | US$5 billion (2008 dollars) |
| Spouse(s) |
Edward Bennett Close (m. 1905; div. 1919) Edward Francis Hutton (m. 1920; div. 1935) Joseph E. Davies (m. 1935; div. 1955) Herbert A. May (m. 1958; div. 1964) |
| Children | Adelaide Close Eleanor Post Hutton Dina Merrill |
| Parent(s) |
Charles William "C. W." Post Ella Letitia Merriweather |
| Relatives | Barbara Hutton (niece) |
| Awards | Legion of Honour |
Marjorie Merriweather Post (March 15, 1887 – September 12, 1973) was a leading American socialite and the owner of General Foods, Inc. She used much of her fortune to collect art, particularly pre-revolutionary Russian art, much of which is now on display at Hillwood, the museum that was her estate. She is also known for building Mar-a-Lago, an estate that serves as Donald Trump's presidential retreat.
Marjorie Merriweather Post was born in Springfield, Illinois, the daughter and only child of C. W. Post and the former Ella Letitia Merriweather. At age 27, when her father died, she became the owner of the rapidly growing Postum Cereal Company, founded in 1895. She was subsequently the wealthiest woman in the United States, with a fortune worth about US$250 million.
She attended the Mount Vernon Seminary and College (now the George Washington University's Mount Vernon Campus). Post maintained a close lifelong relationship with her alma mater and served as the first alumna trustee of Mount Vernon Seminary and College. Today, a collection of her correspondence with Mount Vernon administrators is maintained by GWU's Special Collections Research Center. Post's complete collection of personal papers, as well as those of her father, are held by the University of Michigan's Bentley Historical Library.
In addition to Hillwood and other estates, Marjorie Merriweather Post's other lavish home was Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Designed by Marion Sims Wyeth and Joseph Urban, Mar-a-Lago was willed in 1973 to the United States federal government as a retreat for presidents and visiting foreign dignitaries. The mansion was not, however, used for this purpose, prior to being declared a National Historic Landmark in 1980. It was purchased by businessman Donald Trump in 1985, and came to be used for Post's intended purpose after he became president in 2017.
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