Edward Russell Thomas
Edward Russell Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 30, 1875 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | July 6, 1926 (aged 50) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, sports enthusiast |
| Known for | Ownership of New York Morning Telegraph; senior partner at Thomas & Thomas |
Edward Russell Thomas (December 30, 1875 – July 6, 1926) was a prominent American entrepreneur and sports enthusiast.
Early life and education
Edward was born in Columbus, Ohio to Ann Augusta (née Porter) Thomas and Union General Samuel Russell Thomas. He came into an inheritance valued at approximately $20 million. His sister, Eleanor, was married to Robert Livingston Beeckman, who served as Governor of Rhode Island between 1915 and 1921. Edward completed his studies at Yale University, graduating in 1894.
Career
As a senior partner at the Wall Street firm Thomas & Thomas, Thomas played a significant role in finance. In 1904, he purchased the New York Morning Telegraph from the estate of William Collins Whitney. On October 31, 1905, he orchestrated board appointments at Consolidated National Bank, filling open positions with associates such as O. F. Thomas and Robert Maclay. By October 1907, he had divested his stake and stepped down from the bank’s board. Additionally, Thomas held membership in the esteemed Union Club of the City of New York.
Personal life
On June 29, 1901, Thomas wed Linda Lee Thomas, a 17-year-old from Virginia’s distinguished Lee family, in Newport, Rhode Island. Renowned for her exceptional beauty, Linda introduced him to an opulent lifestyle with homes in Palm Beach, Manhattan, and Newport. Their marriage ended in divorce on October 26, 1912; she subsequently married the celebrated musical theatre composer Cole Porter.
On the very day his first marriage was legally dissolved in 1912, Thomas remarried Elizabeth Finley of New York City. They had one son together, Samuel Finley Thomas (1913–1989), who pursued a career in medicine. This marriage concluded with a divorce in Florida in 1924.
Later that year, Thomas married actress Lucy Cotton, daughter of Adelaide and Warren Jefferson Cotton. The couple resided at 320 Park Avenue and had a daughter named Lucetta Cotton Thomas (1925–1980), who eventually adopted the name Mary Frances Thomas and became the wife of Kenneth Oscar Bailey.
Thomas passed away following a brief three-day illness at Harbor Sanitarium in New York City on July 6, 1926. His final resting place is at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York. His daughter Lucetta was the beneficiary of his estate.