Philanthropist Brooke Astor Dies At 105

Patron Of Culture And The Arts Believed Money Should Be "Spread Around"

(AP)  2
Marshall's son Philip Marshall, a professor at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, had alleged that his father was looting her estate and allowing her to live in filthy conditions at her Park Avenue duplex. Anthony Marhall, a former diplomat and Broadway producer who won Tony awards in 2003 and 2004, denied any wrongdoing.

In December, a Manhattan judge ruled that claims "regarding Mrs. Astor's medical and dental care, and the other allegations of intentional elder abuse" by Anthony Marshall were not substantiated.

The Vincent Astor Foundation was created when he died in 1959. Vincent Astor had no children; he left his widow $2 million plus the interest off $60 million and endowed the foundation with an additional $67 million. The foundation gave away approximately $200 million by the time it closed at the end of 1997.

"I grew up feeling that the most important thing in life was to have good manners and to enhance the lives of others," Brooke Astor said in a 1992 interview with The Associated Press.

She decided that since the money was made in New York it should largely be spent there. She also persuaded the trustees to give away principal as well as interest so most of the money would be spent in her lifetime.

"I'm afraid that, to old John Jacob Astor, spending principal would seem like dancing naked in the streets," she acknowledged.

Astor's giving was informed by her knowledge of the city, its institutions and its real needs.

"She devoted herself to helping people throughout New York — in all the boroughs," Rockefeller said. "And she would always visit those to whom she contributed money, and out of respect, she would always arrive well-dressed, with a pretty hat, as if she were calling on the Queen of England."

And while she had always been comfortable, she was not always rich.

When Brooke Russell was born March 30, 1902, Theodore Roosevelt was president, the U.S. had only 45 states and the Wright brothers had yet to make their first flight. She was the only child of John H. Russell, a career Marine officer who rose to become commandant of the Corps from 1934 to 1936. She was fluent in Chinese after spending her childhood in China and many other places, including the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Hawaii and Panama.

At age 16, she was pushed by her mother into marriage with J. Dryden Kuser, whom she had met at a Princeton prom. The marriage ended in divorce 10 years later.

Her second marriage was to stockbroker Charles "Buddie" Marshall. Her son Anthony, from her marriage to Kuser, took Marshall's name. During her marriage to Marshall, Astor wrote articles for various magazines and joined the staff of House & Garden, where she was feature editor for several years.

Marshall died in 1952. A year later, she married Vincent Astor, the eldest son of John Jacob Astor 4th, who died in the sinking of the Titanic.

"Vincent was a very suspicious man," she recalled. "The fact that he had total confidence in me to run the foundation made me want to vindicate him, show him — wherever he is — that I could do a good job."

Hers was a hands-on approach, personally going over applications and then going out to meet the people who ran the programs and see what they were doing.

"Even in the worst drug areas, I don't hesitate to go right in and see people," she once said.

Astor wrote four books: "Patchwork Child," a 1962 autobiography; "The Bluebird is at Home," 1965, a novel; the autobiographical "Footprints," 1980; and "The Last Blossom on the Plum Tree," 1986, a period novel.

[tikka12]

"Our Miss Brooks" was the name of a half-hour sitcom in the 1950s starring Eve Arden, a wisecracking actress of TV and earlier films. Miss Brooks was either a teacher or principal in a fictional high school. This TV show had nothing whatsoever to do with Brooke Astor, a private-life New York socialite. A socialite is a female whose primary occupation in life is hanging out in society circles -- galas, fund-raisers, lunches, private dinners, etc. To do this requires money which usually comes in the form of inheritance or husband. In modern times, she may also work at something. There are no age limits, so 105 is as good as 21.

[tikka12]

"Our Miss Brooks" was the name of a half-hour sitcom in the 1950s starring Eve Arden, a wisecracking actress of TV and earlier films. Miss Brooks was either a teacher or principal in a fictional high school. This TV show had nothing whatsoever to do with Brooke Astor, a private-life New York socialite. A socialite is a female whose primary occupation in life is hanging out in society circles -- galas, fund-raisers, lunches, private dinners, etc. To do this requires money which usually comes in the form of inheritance or husband. In modern times, she may also work at something. There are no age limits, so 105 is as good as 21.

[ijeannie]

isnt she the lady that people coined the term 'our miss brooks'?

[lanaedawn]

I believe that she is the embodiment of a socialite in the sense the word was supposed to be used. All these young girls running around spending daddy's money on cars and vacations and nights at Le Deux and Mr Chows are NOT socialites-they are spoiled brats.

[mudrose-2009]

A real live charmer. Why she was even declared a living landmark by the New York Conservancy and was award the Medal of Freedomby then President Clinton. Who could resist anyone who named her doggies "Boysie" and "Girlsie". And it was really interesting to note that Mrs. Astor coined the phrase, "Money is like manure; it should be spread around", a phrase used by the writers of Walter Matthau's character in Hello Dolly. Now we all know its origins. She also requested that the inscription on her tombstone read: "I had a wonderful life". Thanks to you, Mrs. Astor, many New Yorkers did too. God Bless you in your travels as you chart new waters in eternity.

[hollysetser]

I don't think it matters how old you are. Long has you have class ... as she did! ... regardless of money, you can do what you want. She was just a very classy lady that was blessed with money to do good things.

[obiwan234]

Can you call a 105 you old woman a "Socialite".

I guess when you are that old and have that kind of money you can be called anything you like.

[hazelknows]

dude looks like a lady..........

[thisandthat1]

I made a mistake ...Astor was her third and last husband....not the second.

[thisandthat1]

Yeah, Iceman, that was last year. It was in all the papers at the time. And, Olebd, one of her three husbands (the second one) was the grandson of John Jacob Astor, who went down with the Titanic. He left her about $67,000,000 plus lots of other good stuff when he died back in the 50's.

[olebd]

Seems like she had fun with all her money. How did she come about such good fortune?

Most importantly, I wonder if she left ME anything? I like having fun!

[iceman_1960]

Elder Abuse Controversy

"On July 26, 2006, the New York Daily News ran a front-page cover story on the family feud between Astor's son, Anthony Dryden Marshall, and her grandson Philip Cryan Marshall, regarding to the welfare of the centenarian Astor, then 104 years old. The story detailed how Astor's grandson, an historic preservationist and associate professor at Roger Williams University, had filed a lawsuit seeking the removal of his father as the socialite's guardian and the appointment of Annette de la Renta, the wife of designer Oscar de la Renta, instead.

According to accounts published in The New York Times and the New York Daily News, Astor was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease several years ago and suffered from anemia, among other ailments. The lawsuit alleges that Marshall has not provided for his elderly mother and, instead, he has allowed her to live in squalor and that he had cut back on necessary medication and doctor's visits, while enriching himself with income from her estate.

On August 8, William F. Buckley Jr., who lived in the same building as Astor, wrote about the ordeal in his syndicated column."

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooke_Astor#Elder_abuse_controversy

[thisandthat1]

kevsgrl ...."She relished her public role of benevolent dowager, and thrived on daily explorations of her adopted city." "Imagine the fun of it," she wrote in the foundation's annual report for 1995. She gave away the last of the Foundation's million's (total...about $250 million)in 1997 and shut it down. Doesn't sound to me like a woman slowly dying for decades. I read that she had been sick for the past few years ...but she was 105! I think you need to do a little more research.

[thisandthat1]

Thanks for that "life's lesson", but I just got done reading another article about her on another news site and she loved life and what she did. She had a wonderful life compared to most. I stick by my original post.

[kevzgrl]

Thisandthat1:
That much money certainly didn't buy her happiness or health, or didn't you know that she has been slowly dying of alzheimers and other illness for DECADES?
Personally, if I were that ill and had no possibility at all of getting better or enjoying life - I wouldn't want to keep going and going like the Energizer bunny. My husband and family know that the plug better be pulled, because to me, that is not a life at all.

[thisandthat1]

That much money and a long life! That's the way to do it. Was she a descendant of John Jacob?

[sofi2hot]

i remember when my grandmother used to tell us to be like "miss aster" and now i know who she is.. how odd...:o)