Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Eleanor Elkins Widener
Eleanor Elkins Widener (September 21, 1861 - July 13, 1937) née Eleanore Elkins, also known as Eleanor Elkins Widener Rice was an American heiress, socialite, philanthropist, and adventuress. She was the daughter of wealthy businessman William Lukens Elkins and married George Dunton Widener, the son of wealthy businessman Peter Arrell Browne Widener. She survived the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic but George and their son, Harry, did not. She renovated St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, as a memorial to George and donated $2 million to Harvard University to build the Widener Library as a memorial to Harry.
Widener remarried Harvard professor Alexander Hamilton Rice Jr.. She funded his research and accompanied him on a number of expeditions in South America, Europe and India. After her death, her grandson, Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr., had Penn Morton College in Chester, Pennsylvania, renamed Widener College in her honor.
Widener was born September 21, 1861 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father was the wealthy businessman William Lukens Elkins. She attended Vassar College for one year but left to marry George Dunton Widener, the son of William's business partner, Peter Arrell Browne Widener, on November 1, 1883.
They lived in the 110-room mansion, Lynnewood Hall, in Elkins Park. Their children were Harry Elkins Widener, George Dunton Widener Jr., and Eleanor Widener Dixon.
In March 1912, Widener traveled with George and Harry on the RMS Mauretania from New York to Liverpool, England. The trip was to ensure the safe arrival of 30 silver plates once owned by Nell Gwyn being donated to the London Museum. They subsequently traveled to Paris to purchase a wedding dress for Eleanor's upcoming marriage and search for a chef for their new hotel, the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia.
On April 10 they embarked at Cherbourg on the RMS Titanic for their return to the United States. She traveled with a pearl necklace valued at $750,000. On the night the ship sank, they hosted a dinner in the À la Carte Restaurant attended by Captain Edward Smith, Archibald Butt, and John B. Thayer. George, Harry, and their valet died in the sinking, but Eleanor and her maid survived in Lifeboat 4 along with first-class female passengers Madeleine Astor, Emily Ryerson, and Marian Thayer. They were rescued by the RMS Carpathia after about 2 hours.
Widener returned to Philadelphia to recover and renovated St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Elkins Park as a memorial to George. She donated, at a cost of $2 million, the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library to Harvard University. Harry, was a collector of rare and valuable books and had graduated from Harvard College in 1907. She asked Luther S. Livingston to be the first librarian of the Harry Elkins Widener Collection in the library. She gave a $300,000 science building to The Hill School, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where Harry had graduated in 1903.
At the library's June 1915 dedication, Widener met Harvard professor Alexander Hamilton Rice Jr., a surgeon, South American explorer, and Boston Brahmin. In October 1915, she married him in a ceremony led by Bishop William Lawrence. They lived together at Miramar, a 30,000 square-foot mansion in Rhode Island.
Hub AI
Eleanor Elkins Widener AI simulator
(@Eleanor Elkins Widener_simulator)
Eleanor Elkins Widener
Eleanor Elkins Widener (September 21, 1861 - July 13, 1937) née Eleanore Elkins, also known as Eleanor Elkins Widener Rice was an American heiress, socialite, philanthropist, and adventuress. She was the daughter of wealthy businessman William Lukens Elkins and married George Dunton Widener, the son of wealthy businessman Peter Arrell Browne Widener. She survived the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic but George and their son, Harry, did not. She renovated St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, as a memorial to George and donated $2 million to Harvard University to build the Widener Library as a memorial to Harry.
Widener remarried Harvard professor Alexander Hamilton Rice Jr.. She funded his research and accompanied him on a number of expeditions in South America, Europe and India. After her death, her grandson, Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr., had Penn Morton College in Chester, Pennsylvania, renamed Widener College in her honor.
Widener was born September 21, 1861 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father was the wealthy businessman William Lukens Elkins. She attended Vassar College for one year but left to marry George Dunton Widener, the son of William's business partner, Peter Arrell Browne Widener, on November 1, 1883.
They lived in the 110-room mansion, Lynnewood Hall, in Elkins Park. Their children were Harry Elkins Widener, George Dunton Widener Jr., and Eleanor Widener Dixon.
In March 1912, Widener traveled with George and Harry on the RMS Mauretania from New York to Liverpool, England. The trip was to ensure the safe arrival of 30 silver plates once owned by Nell Gwyn being donated to the London Museum. They subsequently traveled to Paris to purchase a wedding dress for Eleanor's upcoming marriage and search for a chef for their new hotel, the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia.
On April 10 they embarked at Cherbourg on the RMS Titanic for their return to the United States. She traveled with a pearl necklace valued at $750,000. On the night the ship sank, they hosted a dinner in the À la Carte Restaurant attended by Captain Edward Smith, Archibald Butt, and John B. Thayer. George, Harry, and their valet died in the sinking, but Eleanor and her maid survived in Lifeboat 4 along with first-class female passengers Madeleine Astor, Emily Ryerson, and Marian Thayer. They were rescued by the RMS Carpathia after about 2 hours.
Widener returned to Philadelphia to recover and renovated St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Elkins Park as a memorial to George. She donated, at a cost of $2 million, the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library to Harvard University. Harry, was a collector of rare and valuable books and had graduated from Harvard College in 1907. She asked Luther S. Livingston to be the first librarian of the Harry Elkins Widener Collection in the library. She gave a $300,000 science building to The Hill School, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where Harry had graduated in 1903.
At the library's June 1915 dedication, Widener met Harvard professor Alexander Hamilton Rice Jr., a surgeon, South American explorer, and Boston Brahmin. In October 1915, she married him in a ceremony led by Bishop William Lawrence. They lived together at Miramar, a 30,000 square-foot mansion in Rhode Island.