Anne Windfohr Marion
Anne Windfohr Marion | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 November 1938 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | 11 February 2020 (aged 81) |
| Occupation(s) | Heiress, ranch owner, horse breeder, corporate leader, philanthropist, art enthusiast |
| Known for | President of Burnett Ranches; Chairperson of Burnett Oil Company; Founder of Georgia O'Keeffe Museum |
Anne Windfohr Marion (originally named Anne Valliant Burnett Hall; November 10, 1938 – February 11, 2020) was a prominent American heiress, ranch owner, horse breeder, corporate leader, philanthropist, and art enthusiast based in Fort Worth, Texas. She held the positions of president at Burnett Ranches and chairperson of Burnett Oil Company. Marion was the founder of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum located in Santa Fe, New Mexico and was honored by induction into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1981.
Early life
Marion was born and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. She was the daughter of stockbroker James Goodwin Hall and rancher-businesswoman-philanthropist Anne Valliant Burnett Tandy. After her parents divorced, she was adopted by her mother’s third husband, Robert Windfohr, from whom she took her last name. Her stepfather following her mother’s fourth marriage was Charles D. Tandy, the founder of the Tandy Corporation. Her maternal lineage includes Captain Samuel Burk Burnett, a notable rancher.
Affectionately called 'Little Anne,' she attended the Hockaday School in Dallas and later Miss Porter's School in Connecticut. She graduated from Briarcliff Junior College and pursued art history studies at both the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Geneva. Marion was introduced to society as a debutante at The Assembly in Fort Worth and earned honors such as Duchess of Texas during the Texas Rose Festival in 1957 and Duchess of Fort Worth from the Order of the Alamo in 1959.
Career
Marion inherited four expansive ranch properties covering a total of 275,000 acres across West Texas, presiding as president over Burnett Ranches, which encompasses the renowned 6666 Ranch. She owned celebrated horses including Dash For Cash, Special Effort, and Streakin Six, managing a broodmare herd numbering 160. In recognition of her contributions to equine breeding, she was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2007.
In 1980, she established Burnett Oil Company with its headquarters situated at the Burnett Plaza in Fort Worth, Texas. The company operates in multiple states and holds membership within the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where Marion also fulfilled duties as board chairman.
Her wealth expanded significantly over time: from $150 million in 1983 to $400 million by 1989, eventually reaching $1.3 billion in 2006. She remained listed on the Forbes 400 until 2009 when her fortune was appraised at approximately $1.1 billion.
Philanthropy
Marion served as president and trustee for the Anne Burnett and Charles D. Tandy Foundation, which was later renamed the Burnett Foundation. Through a $10 million endowment from this foundation, she founded the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 2013, she made a lead contribution toward a $57 million emergency facility at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth; this center now bears her name as the Marion Emergency Care Center.
She held board memberships at prestigious institutions including New York City's Museum of Modern Art, the Kimbell Art Museum, and Fort Worth’s Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Marion was instrumental in relocating the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame to Fort Worth and collaborated with business leader Ed Bass to appoint its board members. Her achievements were recognized with induction into its Hall of Fame in 2005.
Between 1981 and 1986, she served on the Board of Regents of the Texas Tech University System. Marion endowed a professorship within Texas Christian University’s Ranching Management School and financed upgrades for the chancellor’s box at TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium, aiding university fundraising initiatives. Her accolades include TCU’s Charles Goodnight Award and, in 2001, the National Golden Spur Award granted by the National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University.
In 2012, Marion contributed financially to Mitt Romney’s campaign for president.
Personal life
Marion entered into matrimony four times throughout her life. Her first marriage took place in 1961 when she united with William Wade Meeker, and together they had a daughter named Anne Windfohr Meeker, often called Windi.
Her second spouse was Benjamin Franklin (B. F.) Phillips, a distinguished horseman known for owning celebrated racehorses such as Dash For Cash and Streakin Six. They were married in 1969 and ended their marriage in 1980. Their daughter, Anne "Windi" Phillips Grimes, born in 1964, later married David M. Grimes II.
From 1982 until 1987, Marion was married to James Rowland Sowell.
In 1988, she wed John L. Marion in Manhattan.
Marion’s primary residence was a 19,000-square-foot modernist house located in Fort Worth, Texas, originally designed by I. M. Pei for her mother. Additionally, she owned several other properties including homes in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Indian Wells, California; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and an apartment on New York City’s Fifth Avenue. She pursued quail hunting activities on her Four Sixes Ranch.
She died on February 11, 2020.