Louise Whitfield Carnegie
Louise Whitfield Carnegie (March 7, 1857 – June 24, 1946) was the wife of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
Louise Whitfield Carnegie | |
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| Born | Louise Whitfield March 7, 1857 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 24, 1946 (aged 89) |
| Resting place | Sleepy Hollow Cemetery |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | Margaret Carnegie Miller |
| Parent(s) | John D. Whitfield |
Early life
Carnegie was born on March 7, 1857 in Gramercy Park, Manhattan, New York City. She was the daughter of New York City merchant John D. Whitfield.
Philanthropy
After Carnegie's death Louise continued making charitable contributions to organizations including American Red Cross, the Y.W.C.A., the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, numerous World War II relief funds, and $100,000 to the Union Theological Seminary. She spent her summers at Skibo Castle.
Personal life
On April 22, 1887, she married Carnegie at her family's home in New York City in a private ceremony officiated by a pastor from the Church of the Divine Paternity, a Universalist church to which the Whitfields belonged.[1] At the time of the marriage, Louise was 30; Carnegie was 51. As wedding gifts from her husband, Louise received a home (formerly owned by Collis Potter Huntington) at 5 West 51st Street and an annual income of approximately $20,000.[2]
Ten years later in 1897, Louise gave birth to the couple's only child Margaret. Louise and her daughter were members of the Brick Presbyterian Church and later the Church of the Divine Paternity (now the Fourth Universalist Society in the City of New York) for whom she and her husband funded their organ.[3][4]
Carnegie died at the age of 83 and was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, in Sleepy Hollow, New York.
References
- David Nasaw, Andrew Carnegie, (Penguin, 2007) p. 296 ISBN 0-14-311244-9, ISBN 978-0-14-311244-0
- MR. CARNEGIE'S WEDDING.; STARTING FOR EUROPE WITH HIS BRIDE, MISS LOUISE WHITFIELD., published April 23, 1997, in the New York Times;
- BAGPIPE TUNES AT CARNEGIE WEDDING, in the New York Times, Nov. 29, 1918
- "Fourth Universalist Society of New York. Records, 1839-2001". Div.hds.harvard.edu. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
Bibliography
- Krass, Peter. Carnegie. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2002.
- Nasaw, David. Andrew Carnegie. New York: Penguin Press, 2006.
- "Mr. Carnegie's Wedding" The New York Times, April 23, 1887.
- "Mrs. Carnegie Dies; Steel Man's Widow", The New York Times, June 25, 1946.
- "Rites in Home for Mrs. Carnegie", The New York Times, June 28, 1946.
Further reading
- Hendrick, Burton Jesse, and Daniel Henderson. Louise Whitfield Carnegie; The Life of Mrs. Andrew Carnegie. New York: Hastings House, 1950.