Howard Gould (June 8, 1871 – September 13, 1959) was an American financier and the son of Jay Gould.

Howard Gould
Gould in Notable New Yorkers, 1899
Born(1871-06-08)June 8, 1871
New York City, US
DiedSeptember 13, 1959(1959-09-13) (aged 88)
Doctors Hospital, New York City, US
EducationColumbia College
Spouses
(m. 1898; div. 1909)
(m. 1937; div. 1947)
PartnerOdette Tyler (1894)
Parent(s)Jay Gould
Helen Day Miller
Relatives

Early life edit

Gould was born in Manhattan on June 8, 1871[1] to railroad financier Jay Gould (1836–1892) and Helen Day Miller (1838–1889). He was the fourth of six children among siblings George,[2] Edwin,[3] Helen,[4] Anna[5][6] and Frank.[7]

His paternal grandparents were Mary (née More) Gould and John Burr Gould from Roxbury, New York.[8] His maternal grandparents were Daniel Stratton Miller and Ann Kip (née Bailey) Miller, who were prominent members of New York society.[9][10]

Gould was educated at Columbia College, where he matriculated with the class of 1894 but did not graduate, according to official records.[11][12]

Career edit

On February 24, 1898, Gould purchased a seat on the New York Stock Exchange and maintained an office at 195 Broadway in New York.[13] By 1955, his seat was the second oldest on the Exchange and he maintained it until his death in 1959.[1]

He served as a director of many railroad, telegraph and financial firms, including the Missouri Pacific Railway Co., Texas and Pacific Railway Co., Kansas and Arkansas Valley Railway, Kansas City Northwestern Railroad Co., Western Union Telegraph Co., International and Great Northern Railroad Co., Manhattan Railway Co., St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway Co., Rio Grande Southern Railroad Co., Rio Grande Western Railroad Co., St. Louis Southwestern Railway Co., Western Maryland Railway Co., American Pneumatic Service Co.,[14] New York Mail and Newspaper Transportation Co.,[15] and the Gold & Stock Telegraph Co.[16]

Yachting edit

Gould was a competitive yachtsman and owned several vessels.

SV Niagara edit

In 1895, Gould commissioned a 65-foot (20 m) sloop named Niagara. The yacht was designed and built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in Bristol, Rhode Island. He won Lord Dunraven's challenge cup with Niagara.[1]

SY Niagara edit

 
Gould's 1898 steam yacht Niagara
 
Gould at his desk on the 1898 Niagara

Gould also owned a large steam yacht, also called Niagara, which was built in 1898 by Harlan and Hollingsworth in Wilmington, Delaware. In 1912, he installed a Welte Philharmonic Organ aboard the ship. On August 10, 1917, the U.S. Navy purchased her and converted her into an armed patrol yacht. She was commissioned in the Tebo's Yacht Basin, Brooklyn, New York on 16 April 1918, Commander E.B. Larimer in command.[17]

Vamoose edit

In 1901 Gould purchased the well-known steam yacht Vamoose.[18] Built in 1891 by Herreshoff for media magnate William Randolph Hearst, the yacht was well-publicized due to her racing pedigree and a series of high-profile speed trials against other yachts around New York City in the early 1890s.[19][20]

Personal life edit

In 1894, Gould was engaged to marry actress Odette Tyler, but both of their families objected, and the engagement was broken.[21][22][23][24]

On October 12, 1898, he married Katherine Clemmons (1874–1930).[25][26] She was an actress whose career had been heavily subsidized by William F. Cody.[27] She filed for a divorce in 1907,[28] which was finalized in 1909, and Howard charged her with infidelity, naming Cody.[29][30][31] Despite the allegations leveled at his wife in the divorce proceedings, Gould was ordered to pay $36,000 per year in alimony (approximately $1,221,000 today). It was the largest alimony settlement ordered up to that time.[32] She died in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1930.[33]

In 1937, he married the actress Grete Mosheim in London, having been a financier/producer on at least one of her London stage appearances.[34] They divorced in 1947.[35]

Gould died at Doctors Hospital in Manhattan on September 13, 1959, aged 88. He was his parents' last surviving son. He was buried in the Gould Mausoleum at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx.[1]

Residence edit

 
Hempstead House.

In 1901, Gould purchased undeveloped land in Sands Point to build a new home for his wife Katherine Clemmons. After Howard and Katherine separated in 1909, he continued to build the estate, using Hunt & Hunt to design an English Tudor style mansion. The 40-room house, one of the more elaborate of the Gold Coast of Long Island estates, is 225 feet (69 m) long and 125 feet (38 m) wide, with an 80-foot (24 m) tower. The first and second floors measure over 1 and 1/2 acres and the home, which Gould called Hempstead House, was an exact copy of Kilkenny Castle in Ireland.[36]

Howard moved to Europe in 1917 and sold the estate to Daniel Guggenheim and his family. The estate, which had cost Gould over $1 million, sold for only $600,000, including the furnishing. In 1971, Nassau County took over a 128‐acre portion of the estate from the Federal Government to be used as a nature preserve.[36] The mansion later underwent a $10 million renovation.[37]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Howard Gould Dies Here At 88. Last Surviving Son Of Jay Gould, Rail Financier, Yachtsman, Auto Racer". The New York Times. September 15, 1959. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  2. ^ "George J. Gould Dies in Villa in France. Leaves $30,000,000. With His Second Wife and Her Children Near, He Yearned for His Sons. Last Malady a Secret. Death Holds Up Litigation With Family Over His Father's Estate. First Became Ill in March. Had Apparently Regained Health When He Suffered a Relapse". The New York Times. May 17, 1923. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  3. ^ "Edwin Gould Dies Suddenly at 67. Son of Railroad Financier and Builder Was Noted for Benefactions to Children. Left School of Finance. Made $1,000,000 Profit Operating Alone in Wall Street Before Father Forgave Him". The New York Times. July 13, 1933. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  4. ^ "Mrs. F. J. Shepard Dies of a Stroke. Former Helen Gould, Famous for Philanthropy, Stricken at Her Summer Home Gave Away Much of Fortune. Mrs. Finley J. Shepard Is Stricken at 70. Philanthropist and Daughter of Jay Gould Got Permission to Marry. Wed at Lyndhurst. Benefactions in War With Spain. Descendant of Pioneers". New York Times. December 21, 1938. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
  5. ^ "Died". Time magazine. December 8, 1961. Archived from the original on February 4, 2011. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
  6. ^ "Duchesse de Talleyrand Is Dead. Youngest daughter of Jay Gould". The New York Times. November 30, 1961. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  7. ^ "Frank Jay Gould Dead on Riviera. Youngest Son of Rail Empire Maker was 78. Built Up Resort of Juan-les-Pins Heir to $10,000,000 N.Y.U. Graduate of 1899". Associated Press in The New York Times. April 1, 1956. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
  8. ^ Todd, Charles Burr (1902). A General History of the Burr Family: With a Genealogical Record from 1193 to 1902. author.
  9. ^ Hutto, Richard Jay (2017-01-10). The Kaiser's Confidante: Mary Lee, the First American-Born Princess. McFarland. ISBN 9781476665726.
  10. ^ Klein, Maury (1997-10-29). The Life and Legend of Jay Gould. Baltimore: JHU Press. pp. 73, 74, 75. ISBN 9780801857713.
  11. ^ Catalogue of Matriculants who Have Not Graduated, 1758-1897. New York City: Columbia University. 1897. p. 36.
  12. ^ Twain, Mark, 1835-1910. (2010). Autobiography of Mark Twain : the complete and authoritative edition. University of California Press. p. 562. ISBN 978-0-520-94699-6. OCLC 822968894.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ King, Moses (1899). Notable New Yorkers of 1896-1899: A Companion Volume to King's Handbook of New York City. M. King. p. 566. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  14. ^ Service, United States Congress Joint Commission to Investigate the Pneumatic-Tube Mail (1917). Development of the Pneumatic-tube and Automobile Mail Service: Excerpts from Reports of the Postmasters General and Their Assistants to Congress ; Various Departmental and Congressional Commission Reports, Including Certain Testimony, and Sundry Exhibits Relative to the Pneumatic-tube and Automobile Mail Service. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 310. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  15. ^ Fourth Estate: A Weekly Newspaper for Publishers, Advertisers, Advertising Agents and Allied Interests. Fourth Estate Publishing Company. 1898. p. 36. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  16. ^ Moody's Manual of Railroads and Corporation Securities. Moody Publishing Company. 1910. pp. 358, 622, 628, 1088, 1767, 1874. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  17. ^ Naval History And Heritage Command (February 10, 2016). "Niagara VI (S. P. 136)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History And Heritage Command. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  18. ^ Yacht Register. London: Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping. 1901. p. 895.
  19. ^ "What the Vamoose Can Do" (PDF). The New York Times. September 12, 1891. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  20. ^ "There Will Be a Race" (PDF). The New York Times. September 29, 1891. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  21. ^ "OPPOSED BY BROTHERS AND SISTERS.; Miss Tyler Says Howard Gould's Relatives Objected, to their Engagement". The New York Times. 13 April 1894. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  22. ^ "HOWARD GOULD MAY MARRY MISS TYLER.; He Is Still Engaged to the Actress, Manager Gilmore Believes". The New York Times. 9 November 1894. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  23. ^ "DOES NOT CORRESPOND WITH GOULD; Odette Tyler Talks of Her Future Plans in Virginia". The New York Times. 2 June 1894. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  24. ^ Russell, Don. The Lives and Legends of Buffalo Bill, p. 433
  25. ^ "WED IN SECRET AND SAIL AWAY". The Chicago Daily Tribune. October 13, 1898.
  26. ^ "HOWARD GOULD MARRIES; He Takes as His Wife Miss Kathrine Clemmons, an Actress. FAMILY HAD OPPOSED MATCH He May Lose Part of His Inheritance in Consequence -- Off for Wedding Cruise". The New York Times. 13 October 1898. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  27. ^ "PEABODY CONFESSES IN GOULD CASE; Tells How Police Sought Evidence to be Used in a Divorce Suit. TURNS ON McLAUGHLIN Howard Gould's Lawyer Also Admits That Detectives Made Reports to Him on the Case". The New York Times. 24 May 1907. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  28. ^ "MRS. HOWARD GOULD TO SUE FOR DIVORCE; Action of Former Actress Against Her Husband to be Begun This Week. DESERTION ONE CHARGE Couple Have Not Lived Together Since Last July -- Both Have Employed Detectives". The New York Times. 13 May 1907. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  29. ^ "MRS. GOULD'S JAUNTS WITH DUSTIN FARNUM; Mostly Auto Trips, She Assures Cross-Examiner, Though She Met Actor at Various Places. ASKED ABOUT COL. CODY Denies That She "Traveled with His Show" -- Her Serenity Makes Mr. Nicoll Forget to be Polite". The New York Times. 12 June 1909. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  30. ^ "Sordid Troubles of the Rich". Covington Sun. April 16, 1908.
  31. ^ "MRS. HOWARD GOULD TELLS MARITAL WOES; Husband Offered Her a Divorce and to Furnish a Co-respondent, She Testifies in Her Suit. HER LIFE AT CASTLE GOULD Daily Insults from Employe of Husband Her Portion, She Says -- Spent Nearly $800,000 Before Separation". The New York Times. 11 June 1909. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  32. ^ "Katherine Clemmons Drives Ten Miles at Night to Seek Aid of a Doctor" (PDF). New York Times. November 5, 1910. Retrieved 2010-06-21.
  33. ^ "MRS. HOWARD GOULD DIES IN VIRGINIA; Former Katherine Clemmons, Actress, Long Retired, Succumbs at Blue Gap Farm at 56. WON HER SEPARATION SUIT Theatrical Ventures Here WereBacked by Col. William F. Cody-- Entertained Kaiser and Czar". The New York Times. 25 December 1930. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  34. ^ "HOWARD COULD, SON OF FINANCIER, WEDS; Marries Margarete Mosheim, Daughter of Berlin Couple, in Klagenfurt, Austria". The New York Times. 19 May 1937. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  35. ^ TIMES, Special to THE NEW YORK (14 January 1947). "HOWARD GOULD DIVORCED; Decree Granted to Austrian Actress He Married in 1937". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  36. ^ a b "Nassau Takes Over the Guggenheim 'Castle'". The New York Times. 14 March 1971. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  37. ^ Waite, Thomas L. (18 September 1988). "POSTINGS: Dissecting a Nassau Mansion; A $10 Million, 10-Year Restoration". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 April 2020.

External links edit