James Gordon Bennett Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1841-05-10)May 10, 1841 New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 14, 1918(1918-05-14) (aged 77) Beaulieu-sur-Mer,Alpes-Maritimes, France |
| Education | École polytechnique |
| Occupation | Publisher |
| Spouse | |
| Parent(s) | James Gordon Bennett Sr. Henrietta Agnes Crean |
| Relatives | Isaac Bell Jr. (brother-in-law) |
James Gordon Bennett Jr. (May 10, 1841 – May 14, 1918) was an American publisher. He was the publisher of theNew York Herald, founded by his father,James Gordon Bennett Sr. (1795–1872), who emigrated from Scotland. He was generally known as Gordon Bennett to distinguish him from his father. Among his many sports-related accomplishments he organized both the first polo match and the first tennis match in the United States, and he won the first trans-oceanicyacht race. He sponsored explorers includingHenry Morton Stanley's trip to Africa to findDavid Livingstone, and the ill-fatedUSSJeannette attempt on the North Pole.
Bennett's controversial reputation is thought to be the inspiration behind the phrase "Gordon Bennett!", used as an expression of incredulity.[1][2][3]
Bennett was born on May 10, 1841, inNew York City toJames Gordon Bennett Sr. (1795–1872), the founder, editor and publisher of theNew York Herald. He was the only son in the family. He grew up mostly in France, and attended theÉcole polytechnique.[4][1]
In 1861, he moved to the United States, and enlisted in theUnion Navy. In 1867, under his father's tutelage, he foundedThe Evening Telegram, an entertainment and gossip paper[4] that later became theNew York World-Telegram. On January 1, 1867, the elder Bennett turned control of theHerald over to him.[4] Bennett raised the paper's profile on the world stage when he provided the financial backing for the 1869 expedition byHenry Morton Stanley into Africa to findDavid Livingstone in exchange for theHerald having theexclusive account of Stanley's progress.
In 1872, he commissioned a Manhattan building design fromArthur D. Gilman, who popularizedSecond Empire andcast-iron facades. The building still exists, on Nassau Street. Though he sold it in 1889 and it was greatly expanded over the following five years, it continues to be known as theBennett Building.[4] It was built on a site previously occupied by the Herald's offices and printing plant, and theHerald later moved back into it. In 1890, he commissioned a new Herald building at Sixth and Broadway, completed in 1895.[4]
In 1880, Bennett established international editions of his newspaper in Paris and London; their successor is theNew York Times International Edition, previously known as theInternational Herald Tribune.[4] In 1883, he partnered with John W. Mackay to found the Commercial Cable Company. It was a successful business and provided an additional large income to Bennett.[4]
Bennett, like many of his social class, indulged in the "good life": yachts, opulentprivate railroad cars, and lavish mansions. He was the youngestCommodore ever of theNew York Yacht Club. Bennett became Commodore of the N.Y.Y.C in 1870 afterHenry G. Stebbins's term, which was from 1863 to 1870.[5]
In 1861, Bennett volunteered his newly built schooner yacht,Henrietta, for theU.S. Revenue Marine Service during theCivil War. At the same time, Bennett was commissioned as a third lieutenant in the Revenue Marine Service (equivalent to anensign in the U.S. Navy) and assigned to the U.S. Marine Revenue schoonerHenrietta (the yacht he had loaned to the U.S. Government) beginning in June 1861. She patrolledLong Island until February 1862 when she was sent toPort Royal, South Carolina. On March 3, 1862, Bennett commanded theHenrietta as part of the fleet which capturedFernandina, Florida. Bennett and theHenrietta returned to civilian life in New York in May 1862.[6][7]
In 1866, on a bet, he won the first trans-oceanicyacht race. The race was between three American yachts, theVesta (owned byPierre Lorillard IV), theFleetwing (owned by George and Frank Osgood) and theHenrietta. Each yachtsman put up $30,000 in the winner-take-all wager. They started off inSandy Hook,New Jersey, on 11 December 1866 amid highwesterly winds and raced toThe Needles, the furthest westerly point on theIsle of Wight, famous for its lighthouse. Bennett'sHenrietta won with a time of 13 days, 21 hours, 55 minutes.[8][9]
In April 1867, Bennett purchased the yachtL'Hirondelle for $75,000 from Bradford.[10] In May 1867, Bennett refitted theL'Hirondelle and changed her name to theDauntless.[11] She was rebuilt and rigged as a schooner. Bennett added 23 feet to her length. Her new dimensions changed to 121 feet; 25-foot beam and 299-tons.[12]
He entertained guests aboard his steam-yacht "Namouna". American expatriate artistJulius LeBlanc Stewart painted several works set on the yacht.
On May 11, 1870, the pilot boatJames Gordon Bennett, No. 6, was launched from theLawrence & Foulks shipyard at Williamsburg. At the launch andnaming ceremony, Katie Chapman, daughter of Captain Daniel C. Chapman, gave the boat the nameJames Gordon Bennett.[13]
Bennett presented the cup and prizes at the October 14, 1873, New York Yacht Club, Cape May Challenge Cup 140-mile (230 km)regatta, which was a race fromOwl's Head Point around toCape May Lighthouse in New Jersey, and back toSandy Hook Light.[14]
Bennett often scandalized society with his flamboyant and sometimes erratic behavior. In 1877, he left New York for Europe after an incident that ended his engagement to socialite Caroline May. According to various accounts, he arrived late and drunk to a party at the May family mansion, then urinated into a fireplace (some say grand piano) in full view of his hosts.[1][15][16][17]
Bennett's controversial reputation is thought to have inspired, in Britain, the phrase "Gordon Bennett!" as an expression of incredulity.[1][2][3]
Settling in Paris, he launched the Paris edition of theNew York Herald, named theParis Herald, the forerunner of theInternational Herald Tribune. He backedGeorge W. De Long's voyage to the North Pole on theUSSJeannette via theBering Strait.
The ill-fated expedition led to the deaths from starvation of DeLong and 19 of his crew, a tragedy that increased the paper's circulation. He was a co-founder of theCommercial Cable Company, a venture to break the Transatlantic cable monopoly held byJay Gould. The 2014 nonfiction bookIn The Kingdom of Ice written by historianHampton Sides recounts the voyage and Bennett's role as a financier of the expedition.[18]
Bennett returned to the United States[when?] and organized the firstpolo match in the United States at Dickel's Riding Academy at 39th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York. He helped found theWestchester Polo Club in 1876, the first polo club in America. He established theGordon Bennett Cup for international yachting and theGordon Bennett Cup for automobile races.[16] In 1906, he funded theGordon Bennett Cup in ballooning (Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett), which continues to this day. In 1909, Bennett offered a trophy for the fastest speed on a closed circuit for airplanes. The 1909 race inReims, France was won byGlenn Curtiss for two circuits of a 10 km rectangular course at an average speed of 46.5 miles per hour (74.8 km/h). From 1896 to 1914, the champion of Paris,USFSAfootball (soccer), received a trophy offered by Gordon Bennett.
Bennett did not marry until he was 73. His wife was Maud Potter, widow of George de Reuter, son ofJulius Paul Reuter, founder ofReuters news agency.
Bennett spent the winter of 1917 in his villa inBeaulieu-sur-Mer,France. He contractedinfluenza while visiting a hospital inParis and travelled to southern France. He died the morning of May 14, 1918 ofpneumonia inBeaulieu-sur-Mer after having been in a coma for 2 days.[19]Bennett is buried at theCimetière de Passy in Paris.[20]
James Stillman was an intimate friend ofJames O. Bloss andJohn William Sterling. After the death of Bennett it was learned by the administrators of his estate that he had appointed Stillman one of the administrators and trustees. Stillman had little or no opportunity to act under the authority of Bennett's will, as he died a few weeks after Bennett's death. Stillman named Sterling one of his executors. Sterling could hardly have begun his duties under Stillman's will when he too died suddenly. The Bennett estate, the Stillman estate and the Sterling estate totaled about $76,000,000. After Sterling's death it was learned that he had appointed his long time intimate companion, Bloss, one of the executors. A few weeks after Sterling's death, Bloss died.[21]
Asteroid305 Gordonia is named after him. He also has a street named for him nearChopin Airport inWarsaw,Poland.[22] TheAvenue Gordon Bennett in Paris, where theFrench Open'sStade de Roland Garros is sited is named after his father.[23]
Bennett, British Columbia, now aghost town, as well as nearbyBennett Lake[24] andBennett Peak are named for him, as isBennett Island, discovered during theJeannette expedition.
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