Huntington Hartford
Huntington Hartford | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date New York City, U.S. |
| Died | May 19, 2008 (aged 97) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, philanthropist, theatrical and film producer, art enthusiast |
| Known for | Heir to A&P supermarket empire; founder of Oil Shale Corporation (TOSCO); developer of Paradise Island resort |
George Huntington Hartford II (April 18, 1911 – May 19, 2008) was a prominent American entrepreneur, philanthropist, theatrical and film producer, and art enthusiast, known as an heir to the A&P supermarket empire.
Following the death of his father in 1922, Hartford inherited a portion of the estate from his grandfather, George Huntington Hartford. After completing his studies at Harvard University in 1934, he briefly joined A&P but mainly focused on diverse business ventures and charitable activities. He became the owner of Paradise Island in the Bahamas and held various commercial and real estate assets, including founding the Oil Shale Corporation (TOSCO) in 1955.
Once counted among the richest individuals globally, Hartford’s later years were impacted by financial setbacks related to investments and his support of the arts. He spent his final period residing in the Bahamas alongside his daughter, Juliet.
Early life and education
Born in New York City to Henrietta Guerard (Pollitzer) and Edward V. Hartford (1870–1922), Huntington Hartford was named after his grandfather, George Huntington Hartford. His family controlled the A&P supermarket chain, which at its height operated 16,000 outlets and ranked as the world's largest retail network. During the 1950s, A&P was the leading grocer worldwide and, following General Motors, was second only in goods sold, boasting $2.7 billion in sales by 1950. His maternal grandfather was of Austrian Jewish descent, while his maternal grandmother had longstanding ties to South Carolina.
Hartford’s father was an inventor and manufacturer credited with refining the automotive shock absorber and held roles as A&P’s corporate secretary and stock trustee.
Shortly after his birth, the family relocated to affluent Deal, New Jersey. After his father passed away when Huntington was eleven years old, his mother moved them to a mansion in Newport, Rhode Island near tobacco heiress Doris Duke. The family also owned a 1,000-acre plantation named "Wando" in South Carolina and maintained an apartment on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.
Hartford attended St. Paul's School before enrolling at Harvard University, where he majored in English literature. Upon graduating in 1934, he worked briefly within A&P’s statistics department while living off a trust fund that generated approximately $1.5 million annually.
On November 10, 1936, he acquired the sailing vessel Joseph Conrad from Alan Villiers. He transformed it into a private yacht before donating it in 1939 to the U.S. Maritime Commission for use as a sail training ship.
Career
In 1940, Hartford invested $100,000 to help launch the newspaper PM alongside Marshall Field III, where he also contributed as a reporter. A passionate sailor, he donated his yacht to the Coast Guard at the onset of World War II, subsequently commanding the Army supply ship FS-179 during operations in the Pacific Theater.
Post-war, Hartford relocated to Los Angeles with ambitions to acquire Republic Pictures and RKO Studios from Howard Hughes. He also established a modeling agency and an artists' community and opened a theater venue.
During the 1950s, Hartford purchased a penthouse duplex at One Beekman Place in Manhattan and owned several estates including "Pompano" in Palm Beach; "Melody Farm" located in Mahwah, New Jersey; "The Pines" estate in Hollywood; a townhouse in London; a residence in Juan-les-Pins, France; as well as property on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
Through Huntington Hartford Productions, he produced films such as Africa Screams (1949) and Hello Out There (1950), directed by James Whale. He also supported actress Marjorie Steele during her transition into visual arts.
In 1955, Hartford founded the Oil Shale Corporation (later known as Tosco), where he acted as majority shareholder and chairman until its eventual acquisition by ConocoPhillips. Additionally, he created the Denver Research Institute at the University of Denver focused on alternative oil extraction technologies. Around this time, he produced The Master of Thornfield, a stage adaptation of Jane Eyre, which had a brief run in Cincinnati starring Errol Flynn. The production later moved to Broadway. In 1963, he offered Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty his "The Pines" estate for public use; however, after refusal by city officials, it was sold and subsequently fell into decline.
Upon the passing of his uncle George Ludlum Hartford in 1957, Huntington inherited that portion of the family trust. By 1969, his net worth was estimated at around half a billion dollars. In 1959, Mike Wallace introduced him on television highlighting this valuation.
Also during 1959, Hartford acquired Hog Island in the Bahamas and renamed it Paradise Island. Over three years he transformed it into an upscale resort comparable to Monte Carlo. A distinctive feature included a cloister constructed from stones sourced from a monastery formerly owned by William Randolph Hearst. To obtain Paradise Island’s gambling license, Hartford enlisted Bahamian attorney Sir Stafford Sands. On British television with host David Frost, Hartford explained that he designed Paradise Island’s flag shaped like a "P," symbolizing peace.
In 1969, Hartford produced the Broadway play Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? at the Belasco Theater, which starred then-unknown actor Al Pacino, who earned a Tony Award for his role.
Patronage of the arts
Hartford played a prominent role in supporting the arts, initiating an artists' community above Los Angeles and later establishing an art gallery in New York City. He was outspoken in his disapproval of Abstract Expressionism, describing it as an "ice age of art" that marginalized conventional music, painting, and sculpture. Additionally, he disparaged Pablo Picasso, labeling him a "mountebank," and expressed critical views on various cultural figures and movements, including Tennessee Williams, T. S. Eliot, and Willem de Kooning, demonstrating his firm stance on the evolution of artistic trends.
In 1948, to promote preferred artistic disciplines, Hartford acquired more than 150 acres in Rustic Canyon, Los Angeles, and engaged Lloyd Wright to design an artists' colony. This retreat opened in 1951, comprising cottages and a communal dining hall intended for artists awarded scholarships to stay for periods ranging from one to six months. Over nearly fifteen years, upwards of 400 artists—among them composers Ernst Toch, Norma Wendelburg, Ruth Shaw Wylie, writer Max Eastman, and painter Edward Hopper—created work that achieved international acclaim through exhibitions, concerts, and theatrical presentations.
Hartford renovated a Los Angeles theater in 1954, renaming it the Huntington Hartford Theater, which served as a leading venue for Broadway-style productions for about ten years. After the Los Angeles County Museum of Art declined an exhibition he proposed, Hartford redirected his efforts to New York City. In 1964, he inaugurated the Gallery of Modern Art at Columbus Circle, citing insufficient audience interest in Los Angeles. Despite attempts to garner local support for the artists' colony, he closed it in 1965 due to lack of backing; the previous year he had sold the Huntington Hartford Theater.
Art collection
Hartford possessed a vast collection of artworks. During an appearance on Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person, he displayed Rembrandt's "Portrait of a man, half-length, with his arms akimbo," which later sold at Christie's London auction in 2009 for $33 million—a record price for a Rembrandt painting.
To exhibit his holdings from the 19th and 20th centuries, Hartford constructed the Gallery of Modern Art Including the Huntington Hartford Collection at 2 Columbus Circle in Manhattan, opening its doors in 1964. Notably absent from the museum's collection was Abstract Expressionism, which Hartford had critiqued extensively in his book Art or Anarchy. He championed architect Edward Durell Stone, responsible for designing this modernist marble-clad structure often nicknamed the "lollipop building," who had also designed MoMA for the Rockefeller family.
For the museum's debut, Hartford commissioned Salvador Dalí to create The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. The collection further featured masterpieces by Monet, Manet, Degas, and Toulouse-Lautrec. After operating for five years, Hartford closed the museum; subsequently, the building housed New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs and currently functions as the Museum of Arts and Design with a redesigned exterior.
Personal life
Hartford entered into four marriages throughout his life, all ending in divorce, and fathered five children. His mother had hoped he would wed Doris Duke; instead, he married Mary Lee Epling in 1931; their marriage ended in divorce by 1939. In 1938, he fathered Edward "Buzzy" Barton with dancer Mary Barton—providing financial support but never formally acknowledging paternity; Edward died by suicide in 1967.
His second marriage was to actress Marjorie Steele in 1949; they had two children: Catherine (born 1950) and John Hartford (born circa 1953/54). The couple divorced in 1960. Catherine died from a drug overdose in 1988; John pursued a career as a musician and educator before succumbing to throat cancer in 2011.
In 1962, Hartford wed Diane Brown; they had a daughter named Cynara Juliet before divorcing in 1970. His fourth marriage was to Elaine Kay in 1975; this union ended in divorce by 1981.
Later years and death
In February 2004, Hartford moved with his daughter to Lyford Cay in the Bahamas. He passed away at his residence there on May 19, 2008, at the age of 97. The specific cause of his death was not made public. He was laid to rest at Lakeview Memorial Gardens & Mausoleums located in Nassau.
In popular culture
- In the 2004 movie Kinsey, directed by Bill Condon, Hartford was depicted by actor John McMartin.
- His Ocean Club on Paradise Island served as a filming location for two James Bond movies: Thunderball (1965) and Casino Royale (2006). During these productions, his then-wife Diane Brown appeared briefly in cameo roles.
External links
- "Huntington Hartford wins race in his yacht, The Joseph Conrad, from Newport to Bermuda", Time, September 20, 1937
- New York Times archives on Huntington Hartford
- Time archives on Huntington Hartford
- Article on wealthy eccentrics CNN Money
- "Huntington Hartford is really one of the good guys", "Chicago Tribune", March 9, 1969