Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr.
Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr. | |
---|---|
United States Ambassador to Poland | |
In office June 2, 1937 – December 1, 1943 | |
President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
Preceded by | John Cudahy |
Succeeded by | Arthur Bliss Lane |
Personal details | |
Born | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US | December 17, 1897
Died | November 13, 1961 Washington, D.C., US | (aged 63)
Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
Spouses | Margaret Thompson Schulze
(m. 1931; div. 1945)Margaret Atkinson Loughborough
(m. 1946–1961) |
Children | 4, including Mary Duke Biddle |
Parent |
|
Occupation | Soldier, diplomat |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1917–1919; 1944–1955 |
Rank | Major General |
Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr. (December 17, 1897 – November 13, 1961) was an American diplomat who served as ambassador to several countries between the 1930s and 1961. He served in the United States Army during World War I and after World War II, reaching the rank of major general.[1]
Early life
Biddle was the son of millionaire Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr. (1874–1948), and Cordelia Rundell Bradley (1873–1947). A member of the Biddle family, he was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 17, 1897. His father, grandson of banker
He graduated from
Career
In
Biddle also made a deal to rent part of Central Park in New York City and open an expensive nightclub called Central Park Casino. After the Wall Street Crash of 1929 many of his investments failed. The Casino was raided and shut down.[4]
In 1931 he and other directors of the bankrupt Sonora Products Corporation of America (formerly Acoustic Products Company, in the phonograph and radio business) were sued by the Irving Trust Company. The directors were accused of diverting profits from stock sales into their own accounts. A district court dismissed the claims against the defendants, but the dismissal of Biddle and several others was reversed on appeal.[5][6]
Diplomatic career
After Biddle was appointed
On May 4, 1937, he was promoted to
On February 11, 1941, he also commissioned to the governments-in-exile of
Later career
In January 1944, Biddle resigned from the State Department and joined the Army as lieutenant colonel to serve on the staff of
In April 1955, he resigned from the Army to become Adjutant General of the Pennsylvania National Guard.[14] Nevertheless, as a member of the Army Reserve, he was promoted to major general in August.[15]
In 1961, Biddle became the
Personal life
On June 16, 1915, Biddle married Mary Lillian Duke (1887–1960), a tobacco heiress who was the daughter of Benjamin Newton Duke.[17] They divorced in 1931 after having two children:
- Mary Duke Biddle (1920–2012), who married Dr. Josiah Charles Trent. After his death, she married Dr. James Semans.[18]
- Nicholas Duke Biddle (1921–2004), who was initially named Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle III, only to have his mother change his name following the divorce.[19]
His second wife, whom he married in 1931, was Margaret Thompson Schulze (d. 1956), the only child of mining magnate William Boyce Thompson and recent divorcee of Theodore M. Schulze, a New York banker.[20] Through this marriage he had two stepchildren, (Margaret) Boyce Schulze and Theodore Schulze Jr, as well as a son before their divorce in 1945:[20]
- Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle III, who died at birth.[21]
He married as his third wife, in 1946, Margaret Atkinson Loughborough (1915–2013), the former wife of William Ellery Loughborough[22] and had two more children:
- Margaret Biddle[23]
- Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle III (b. 1948)
He died November 13, 1961, in
Personal style
A wealthy socialite, Biddle was known for being elegantly dressed. On October 4, 1943, he appeared on the cover of Life magazine.[26] The one published picture of Biddle without his impeccable suit was when he had to pack in a hurry to escape German bombers in Poland via Romania.[10] He was recognized in 1960 by George Frazier as one of the best dressed men in the US, on a short list with such stars as Fred Astaire. He was noted for his small number of fine custom-made suits[27] and his starched, horizontally-striped Charvet shirts.[28]
Legacy
His sister Cordelia Drexel Biddle wrote a book with Kyle Crichton about the family, focusing on her marriage with Angier Buchanan Duke who was the brother of Anthony's first wife. It was made into a play and the 1967 musical film The Happiest Millionaire. He was portrayed by Paul Petersen in the film.[29] His nephew Angier Biddle Duke (1915–1995) also became a diplomat.[30][31]
Diplomatic posts
- U.S. Minister to:
- Norway, 1935–37, 20 March 1941 – 1 December 1943
- Netherlands, 27 March 1941 – 1 December 1943
- Yugoslavia, 30 July 1941 – 28 September 1943
- Czechoslovakia, 28 October 1941 – 1 December 1943
- Greece, 28 November 1941 – 16 March 1943
- U.S. Ambassador to:
- Poland, 1937–1 December 1943
- Belgium, 24 March 1941 – 1 December 1943
- Netherlands, 1942–43
- Norway, 20 March 1941 – 1 December 1943
- Yugoslavia, 1942
- Greece, 1942–43
- Czechoslovakia, 1943
- Spain, 1961
His multiple appointments from 1941 to 1943 were to
Orders, decorations and medals
- Distinguished Service Medal
- Legion of Merit
- World War I Victory Medal
- European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
- World War II Victory Medal
- Army of Occupation Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Note – Ambassador Drexel also received numerous foreign orders and decorations.
Lawsuit
- Irving Trust Co. v. Deutsch, 73 F.2d 121 (2d. Cir. 1934), cert. denied, Biddle v. Irving Trust Company, 294 U.S. 708, 55 S.Ct. 405, 79 L.Ed. 1243 (1935)
References
- ^ a b c "Anthony J. Drexel Biddle Dead; Ambassador to Spain Was 64; Envoy and Officer in World War II – Tributes Paid by Kennedy and Eisenhower". The New York Times. November 14, 1961. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
- ^ "Letters to the editor". Life magazine. October 25, 1943. p. 2. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
- ^ a b c Noel F. Busch (October 4, 1943). "Ambassador Biddle: As multiple envoy to governments-in-exile, he is foremost U.S. expert on postwar plans and problems of Europe's courageous little nations". Life magazine. pp. 106–114, 117–120. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
- ISBN 0-8014-9751-5.
- ^ "Business & Finance: Suits". Time magazine. July 20, 1931. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
- ^ "Irving Trust Co. v. Deutsch: Circuit Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 1934 73 F.2d 121". Retrieved March 21, 2011.
- ^ "Foreign Service: Athletic Christian". Time magazine. August 5, 1935. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ "Do you know these U.S. Ambassadors?". Life magazine. November 28, 1938. p. 25. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
- ^ a b "Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle (1897–1961)". Biography by office of the Historian. US Department of State. Archived from the original on 19 March 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ a b "U.S. Ambassador Bidle flees Poland after a 250-mile race against death from low-flying German warplanes". Life magazine. November 28, 1938. p. 29. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
- ^ Exiles Memorial Center.
- ^ Ellis Island Passenger Registration Records.
- ^ "Biddle Resigns as Envoy to Exiles To Take Post With Invasion Army". New York Times. January 23, 1944. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ Tony Leviero (April 14, 1955). "Biddle to Retire as Ridgway Aide: General, Former Ambassador, Slated to Head National Guard in Pennsylvania". New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ "Reserve Officers Approved by Senate". The New York Times. August 2, 1955. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
- ^ "Energetic Envoy; Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr". The New York Times. February 25, 1961. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
- ^ "Miss Duke's bridal party: Plans for Her Marriage to A. J. Drexel Biddle Jr. on June 16" (PDF). The New York Times. May 13, 1915. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
Plans have been completed for the wedding of Miss Mary Lillian Duke, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin N. Duke, and A. J. Dexter Biddle, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Dester Biddle of Philadelphia, which is to take place on Wednesday afternoon, June 16 at 3 o'clock.
- ^ "Duke descendant dies at 91 :: WRAL.com". WRAL.com. January 25, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
- ^ Douglas Martin (October 14, 2004). "Nicholas Duke Biddle, 83, Scion of Wealth Who Helped the Poor, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ a b "Margaret Biddle is Dead in Paris; American Heiress Wrote for U.S., French Publications – Shared in $85,000,000 Opened Home to Notables Honored in Yonkers Special to The New York Times". The New York Times. 9 June 1956. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ^ "Mrs. J. Borden Harriman, Ex-Envoy, Dies at 97". New York Times. August 31, 1967.
- ^ "Col. A.D. Biddle Jr. to Wed in Germany; Ex-Envoy Will Marry Today in Frankfort Mrs. Margaret A. Loughborough, UNRRA Aide". The New York Times. 11 July 1946. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ^ "Family reunion article". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 20 October 1981. p. 11.
- ^ Burial Detail: Biddle, Anthony J – ANC Explorer
- ^ "Col. Edwinston Robbins Weds Mrs. Biddle in Philadelphia". The New York Times. January 2, 1969. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ^ Hans Wild (October 4, 1943). "Tony Biddle". Life. Front cover photo.
- ^ George Frazier (September 1960). "The Art of Wearing Clothes". Esquire magazine. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ "Icon, Icon A.J." Easy and Elegant Life. June 22, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
- IMDb
- ^ Richard Severo (May 1, 1995). "Angier Biddle Duke, 79, an Ambassador And Scion of Tobacco Family, Has Died". The New York Times. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
- ^ "A Washington Duke genealogy as it pertains to Duke University". Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
External links
- Will Boehlke (November 27, 2006). "A Suitable Wardrobe". blog. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- The Political Graveyard
- "Chiefs of Mission for Poland". Office of the Historian. US Department of State. Archived from the original on 19 March 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- Svinth, Joseph R. (December 2001). "Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, USMC CQB Pioneer". Journal of Non-lethal Combatives. EJMAS. Retrieved May 28, 2009.