Frank Jay Gould

Frank Jay Gould (December 4, 1877 – April 1, 1956) was a philanthropist and the son of financier Jay Gould. He was the owner of French Riviera casinos and hotels.

Frank Jay Gould
Born(1877-12-04)December 4, 1877
Manhattan, New York City
DiedApril 1, 1956(1956-04-01) (aged 78)
Juan-les-Pins, French Riviera
EducationNew York University (1899)
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1901; div. 1908)​

Edith Kelly
​
​
(m. 1910; div. 1919)​

Florence La Caze
​
​
(m. 1923)​
Children2, including Dorothy Gould Burns
Parent(s)Jay Gould
Helen Day Miller
Relatives

Biography

He was born on December 4, 1877, in Manhattan, New York City to Jay Gould and Helen Day Miller (1838–1889)

On December 1, 1901, he married Helen Margaret Kelly and had two daughters, Helen Gould and Dorothy Gould (1904–1969). They divorced in 1908. The Wichita Daily Times, Wichita Falls, Texas, wrote: "Frank Jay Gould and his wife who was Helen Margaret Kelly have separated and it is said Mrs. Gould has brought action looking for a legal separation. Jealousy on the part of Mr. Gould, due, it is said, to the homage paid Mrs. Gould, who is a beautiful woman, by other men."[1] In 1909 he was sued by vaudeville dancer Bessie De Voie for breach of promise, and his love letters to her were published as part of the scandal. The case was settled in late 1910, when Gould paid De Voie $10,000.[2][3][4]

Gould's married his second wife, Edith Kelly, in 1910, divorcing in 1919.[5][6] Edith was the sister of Hetty Kelly, who was Charlie Chaplin's first true love.[7] Gould was married to his third wife, Florence La Caze (1895–1983), from 1923 until his death.[8] Together Gould and La Caze collected impressionist artwork.[9]

In 1909, he founded the "Virginia Railway and Power Company" in Richmond, Virginia. The company would be renamed "Virginia Electric and Power Company", and known widely by its acronym (VEPCO) in 1925. The company became "Virginia Power" in the 1980s and operates today under the name Dominion Resources, serving Virginia, North Carolina with electric power and half a dozen other Middle Atlantic states providing natural gas services.

He moved to France and developed several casinos and hotels at the French Riviera. He made a great contribution in the development of multiple spa towns including Granville, Bagnoles-de-l'Orne and Juan-les-Pins. In 1926 he opened the Hotel "Le Provençal" in Juan-les-Pins.[10]

He died on April 1, 1956, in Juan-les-Pins.[11][12] He was buried in the Jay Gould Mausoleum in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City.

Legacy

The history of his investments in France is described in the documentary film "Hotel Provencal" (2000), by German filmmaker Lutz Hachmeister.

References
  1. "Frank Jay Gould". Wichita Daily Times. 1908. Frank Jay Gould and his wife who was Helen Margaret Kelly have separated and it is said Mrs. Gould has brought action looking for a legal separation. Jealousy on the part of Mr. Gould, due, it is said, to the homage paid Mrs. Gould, who is a beautiful woman, by other men.
  2. "Gould Paid Dancer $10,000 as Balm" The Daily Record (November 3, 1910): 8. via Newspapers.com
  3. "Frank Gould Denies Promise" Pittston Gazette (December 28, 1909): 1. via Newspapers.com
  4. "Gould Love Notes" The Courier-News (December 29, 1909): 6. via Newspapers.com
  5. "Frank J. Gould Did Wed Edith Kelly. His Marriage to Musical Comedy Actress in Paris Suburb. His First Wife, Mrs. Helen Kelly Gould, Is Expected to Marry Ralph Hill Thomas To-morrow". The New York Times. July 10, 1910. Retrieved 2008-12-22.
  6. "Divorced Wife Sues Frank Jay Gould. Actions for a Divorce and a Separation Filed Here Simultaneously. Say His Decree is Void. Cruelties Due to Continued Intoxication and Unfaithfulness Are Alleged". The New York Times. April 24, 1920. Retrieved 2008-04-06. Mrs. Edith Kelly Gould, former musical comedy actress, who married Frank Jay Gould in 1910 in Scotland and was divorced by him in Paris on April 27, 1919, but who did not defend ...
    • My Autobiography (1964) - Charlie Chaplin, pages 116 and 137
  8. "Florence Gould Dead. Benefactor of the Arts". The New York Times. March 2, 1983.
  9. Reif, Rita (November 29, 1984). "Gould Art Collection To Be Auctioned". The New York Times.
  10. francetoday (9 January 2009). "A Piece of History Reborn".
  11. "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. Frank Jay Gould died today at his apartment at Juan-les-Pins on the French Riviera. He was 78 years old.
  12. "Died". Time. April 16, 1956. Retrieved 2008-07-30. Frank Jay Gould, 78, youngest son of the late buccaneering railroad tycoon, Jay (Black Friday) Gould, who boosted the $10 million inherited from his father to a reported $100 million; at his villa, Soleil d'Or; in Juan-les-Pins, France. Francophile Gould moved to France in 1913 for a "temporary residence" that lasted for 43 years, made a fortune in race horses and real estate, turned the quiet backwater of Juan-les-Pins into a famed international spa.
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