Gladys Fries Harriman | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Harriman in 1932 | |
| Born | Gladys Fries 1896 (1896) |
| Died | 1983 (aged 86–87) |
| Occupation(s) | Philanthropist, equestrian, big game hunter |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Gladys Fries Harriman (1896–1983) was an American philanthropist, equestrian andbig game hunter. She was an executive at theAmerican Red Cross. She became one of the first female equestrian drivers and big game hunters.
Harriman was born in 1896 inNew York City.[1][2] She was the daughter of Dr. Harold Fries and Catherine Cahill.[3] Her father was a chemist with business concerns in the South.[4][5]
She was a competitivedriver andtrotter ofstandardbred horses, winning many medals for it.[1][2] In 1929, she became the first female two-minute driver when she drove Highland Scott over a mile in two minutes inGoshen, New York.[1][6]
She was one of the earliest female big game hunter.[2] She often hunted deer near her estate in Arden, New York state.[2] In the 1930s, she went goat hunting near theSalmon River inIdaho and in theRocky Mountains ofWyoming with her husband.[2] She went grouse-hunting inScotland in 1934.[2] She also wentchamois-hunting in theAustrianAlps.[2] In 1937, she wentbighorn sheep-hunting nearCrystal Creek in Wyoming.[2] She then wentcaribou-hunting inBritish Columbia,Canada in 1938.[2] She later published non-fiction books about her big game hunting experiences.[2]
She began supporting theAmerican Red Cross in the 1920s.[1][2] DuringWorld War II, she became an executive for the Red Cross, serving as Chairman of Volunteer Services of its New York branch.[1]
On April 12, 1917, she married the bankerEdward Roland Harriman (1895–1978), the younger brother ofNew York GovernorW. Averell Harriman (1891–1986).[1] The Harriman brothers were the sons of railroad baronEdward Henry Harriman and his wife,Mary Williamson Averell.[4] Together, Gladys and Harriman had two daughters:
They resided inArden, New York.[2] They were listed in theSocial Register.[7]
Her husband predeceased her on February 16, 1978.[8][9] She died in 1983, both in Arden, New York.[1]