Vincent Astor
| Vincent Astor | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
William Vincent Astor November 15, 1891 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | February 3, 1959 (aged 67) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Resting place | Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sleepy Hollow, New York, U.S. |
| Residence | New York City, New York Rhinebeck, New York |
| Education | Harvard University |
| Known for | Businessman, philanthropist |
| Salary | $20 million |
| Net worth | $1.5 billion |
| Spouse(s) |
Helen Dinsmore Huntington (m. 1914; div. 1940) Mary Benedict Cushing (m. 1940; div. 1953) Roberta Brooke Russell (m. 1953; his death 1959) |
| Parent(s) |
John Jacob Astor IV Ava Lowle Willing |
| Relatives | See Astor family |
William Vincent Astor (November 15, 1891 – February 3, 1959) was a businessman, philanthropist, and member of the prominent Astor family.
Called Vincent, he was born in New York City on November 15, 1891. He was the son of John Jacob Astor IV, millionaire and inventor and his first wife, Ava Lowle Willing, an heiress from Philadelphia.
He graduated from St. George's School, in Middletown, Rhode Island, in 1910 and attended Harvard University from 1911 to 1912, leaving school without graduating.
Like his father, Vincent belonged to the New York Society of Colonial Wars. He served as commodore of the New York Yacht Club from 1928 to 1930.
Astor was interested in trains. In the early 1930s, he established an estate in Bermuda which included a private narrow-gauge railway and union station with the Bermuda Railway. The estate is now divided between several private owners, none of whom are part of the Astor family. As recently as 1992, the remains of some of his were visible.
Vincent Astor was, according to Astor family biographer Derek Wilson, "a hitherto unknown phenomenon in America: an Astor with a highly developed social conscience." He was 20 when his father died and having inherited a massive fortune, Vincent Astor dropped out of Harvard University. He set about to change the family image from that of miserly, aloof slum landlords who enjoyed the good life at the expense of others. Over time, he sold off the family's New York City slum housing and reinvested in reputable enterprises while spending a great deal of time and energy helping others. He was responsible for the construction of a large housing complex in the Bronx that included sufficient land for a large children's playground, and in Harlem, he transformed a valuable piece of real estate into another playground for children.
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