Edward Beale McLean
Encyclopedia
Edward Beale "Ned" McLean (1889 - July 28, 1941) was the publisher and owner of the Washington Post newspaper from 1916 until 1933.
Edward McLean was born into a publishing fortune founded by his paternal grandfather Washington McLean
, who owned the Washington Post and the Cincinnati Enquirer. He was the only child of John Roll McLean
, for whom McLean, Virginia
is named, and the former Emily Truxtun Beale, the daughter of Edward F. Beale and the former Mary Edwards. Emily was a hostess and socialite who was the inspiration for the character Victoria Dare in the 1880 comic novel
, Democracy: An American Novel
by Henry Adams.
In 1908 Edward McLean married Evalyn Walsh
, the only surviving child and sole heiress of mining millionaire Thomas Walsh
. Following a honeymoon trip around the world, the couple returned to Washington and settled in at the McLean family's country house 'Friendship' (now the McLean Gardens Condominium development) along Wisconsin Avenue to the south of the Tenleytown neighborhood of Washington, D. C. The McLeans lived lavishly and had a large part in Washington society. They were close friends of Senator and President Warren G. Harding
.
and built a horse stable and training track for Thoroughbred
s. Involved with show horses for a number of years, in 1917 Edward McLean purchased thirty-two Thoroughbred
racehorses
and hired trainer
Eugene Leigh
to condition them for racing. Among his notable runners, Toro won the 1928 American Derby
, ran third in the Kentucky Derby
and second in the Preakness Stakes
.
McLean dispersed his bloodstock in June of 1931 and in December the estate was sold to Patrick J. Hurley
and his wife.
for US$
180,000 from Pierre Cartier of Cartier Jewelers
on Fifth Avenue in New York City
. A clause in the sale agreement for the diamond, which was widely believed to have brought death and disaster to its owners, stated that "Should any fatality occur to the family of Edward B. McLean within six months, the said Hope diamond is agreed to be exchanged for jewelry of equal vale". By March, the diamond had not been paid for in accordance with the terms in the sale agreement. Cartier hired a lawyer to sue McLean for payment. McLean responded by saying that the diamond was on loan for inspection. On February 2, 1912 the New York Times reported that the "Wealthy Purchasers of Famous Stone to Retain It Despite Sinister Reputation."
The Edward McLean family suffered further difficulties: On October 9, 1941, their 19-year-old daughter, Evalyn Washington McLean (November 16, 1921–September 20, 1946), became the fifth wife of 57-year-old Senator Robert R. Reynolds
of North Carolina
. Less than five years later, she was found dead by her mother. A coroner's inquest determined the cause of death to be an accidental overdose of sleeping pills
. Evalyn and Robert Reynolds had a daughter, Mamie Spears Reynolds. She married Italian racecar driver Luigi Chinetti
in 1963 and divorced two years later.
The couple's second son, Edward Beale McLean, Jr., married Ann Carroll Meem in May 1938. Their divorce was granted in July 1943, and he married a second time in August to actress Gloria Hatrick, with whom he had two sons Ronald and Michael. Ronald died during enemy fire whilst serving in Vietnam. McLean Jr. and Gloria divorced in January 1948. In October of that year he married Manuela "Mollie" Hudson, the former Mrs. Alfred Vanderbilt. In August 1949, ex-wife Gloria McLean married actor James Stewart
. McLean Jr. and Hudson-Vanderbilt separated in the 1960s and formally divorced in 1973, after which Edward married a fourth time to Patricia Dewey.
in October 1931. Edward McLean filed for divorce in a Mexican
court, but his wife obtained a permanent injunction from a District of Columbia court ordering the cessation of the Mexican proceedings. Edward McLean then suddenly announced he had already married Rose Douras, a sister of Hollywood film star Marion Davies
. A marriage had in fact not occurred, but Edward McLean immediately took up residence in Riga, Latvia, where he again filed for a divorce. It was granted on December 13, 1932.
Edward McLean's increasingly erratic behaviour and reckless spending resulted in financial problems that led to the forced sale of the Washington Post by trustees appointed by the court. The divorce proceedings of Evalyn McLean continued in United States court but were dropped following an October 31, 1933 verdict by a jury in a Maryland
trial that declared Edward McLean to be legally insane and incapable of managing his affairs. The court ordered that he be committed indefinitely to a psychiatric hospital
.
Edward McLean died of a heart attack at Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital in Towson, Maryland
in 1941.
, perpetrated by con-man Gaston Means
. Means duped her into giving him $100,000, to be used to secure the release of the kidnapped son of Charles Lindbergh
. He was eventually charged with fraud and imprisoned.
Edward McLean was born into a publishing fortune founded by his paternal grandfather Washington McLean
Washington McLean
Washington McLean was an American businessman of Scottish ancestry best known as the owner of the Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1848 Washington McLean and his brother S.B.W. McLean acquired a share position in the Cincinnati Enquirer to be partners with editor James...
, who owned the Washington Post and the Cincinnati Enquirer. He was the only child of John Roll McLean
John Roll McLean
John Roll McLean was the owner and publisher of The Washington Post and The Cincinnati Enquirer. McLean was also a one-time partner in the ownership of the Cincinnati Red Stockings baseball team of the American Association and also the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds of the Union Association.He was born...
, for whom McLean, Virginia
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
is named, and the former Emily Truxtun Beale, the daughter of Edward F. Beale and the former Mary Edwards. Emily was a hostess and socialite who was the inspiration for the character Victoria Dare in the 1880 comic novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, Democracy: An American Novel
Democracy: An American Novel
Democracy: An American Novel is a political novel written by Henry Brooks Adams and published anonymously in 1880. Only after the writer's death in 1918 did his publisher reveal Adams's authorship although, upon publication, the novel had immediately become popular...
by Henry Adams.
In 1908 Edward McLean married Evalyn Walsh
Evalyn Walsh McLean
Evalyn Walsh McLean was an American mining heiress and socialite who was famous for being the last private owner of the Hope Diamond as well as another famous diamond, the Star of the East...
, the only surviving child and sole heiress of mining millionaire Thomas Walsh
Thomas Walsh (miner)
Thomas Francis Walsh was an Irish-American miner who discovered one of the largest gold mines in America...
. Following a honeymoon trip around the world, the couple returned to Washington and settled in at the McLean family's country house 'Friendship' (now the McLean Gardens Condominium development) along Wisconsin Avenue to the south of the Tenleytown neighborhood of Washington, D. C. The McLeans lived lavishly and had a large part in Washington society. They were close friends of Senator and President Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
.
Thoroughbred horse racing
In 1915, Edward McLean acquired Belmont PlantationBelmont Manor House
Belmont Manor House, formally known as Belmont Plantation, is a two-story, five-part Federal mansion in Loudoun County, Virginia, built between the years of 1799-1802 by Ludwell Lee , son of Richard Henry Lee...
and built a horse stable and training track for Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
s. Involved with show horses for a number of years, in 1917 Edward McLean purchased thirty-two Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorses
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and hired trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
Eugene Leigh
H. Eugene Leigh
Hiram Eugene Leigh was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer/owner and breeder who had a highly successful career in the United States as well as in Europe....
to condition them for racing. Among his notable runners, Toro won the 1928 American Derby
American Derby
The American Derby is a Thoroughbred horse race in the United States run annually at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The inaugural American Derby was held at the city's old Washington Park race track and raced there until 1905 when the facility was closed and the track demolished....
, ran third in the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and second in the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
.
McLean dispersed his bloodstock in June of 1931 and in December the estate was sold to Patrick J. Hurley
Patrick J. Hurley
Patrick Jay Hurley was an American soldier, statesman, and diplomat....
and his wife.
Hope Diamond ownership and subsequent family misfortunes
On January 28, 1911, in a deal made in the offices of the Washington Post, McLean purchased the Hope DiamondHope Diamond
The Hope Diamond, also known as "Le bleu de France" or "Le Bijou du Roi", is a large, , deep-blue diamond, now housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. It is blue to the naked eye because of trace amounts of boron within its crystal structure, but exhibits red...
for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
180,000 from Pierre Cartier of Cartier Jewelers
Cartier SA
Cartier S.A., commonly known as Cartier , is a French luxury jeweler and watch manufacturer. The corporation carries the name of the Cartier family of jewellers whose control ended in 1964 and who were known for numerous pieces including the "Bestiary" , the diamond necklace created for Bhupinder...
on Fifth Avenue in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. A clause in the sale agreement for the diamond, which was widely believed to have brought death and disaster to its owners, stated that "Should any fatality occur to the family of Edward B. McLean within six months, the said Hope diamond is agreed to be exchanged for jewelry of equal vale". By March, the diamond had not been paid for in accordance with the terms in the sale agreement. Cartier hired a lawyer to sue McLean for payment. McLean responded by saying that the diamond was on loan for inspection. On February 2, 1912 the New York Times reported that the "Wealthy Purchasers of Famous Stone to Retain It Despite Sinister Reputation."
Misfortunes of McLean children
The bad luck the diamond was supposed to bring to any owner was not evident for eight years, when the first of the four children born to the McLeans died. While crossing Wisconsin Ave. in front of the suburban Washington, D.C. home of his parents, nine-year-old Vinson Walsh McLean (born December 18, 1909) was struck by a car and killed on May 18, 1919.The Edward McLean family suffered further difficulties: On October 9, 1941, their 19-year-old daughter, Evalyn Washington McLean (November 16, 1921–September 20, 1946), became the fifth wife of 57-year-old Senator Robert R. Reynolds
Robert Rice Reynolds
Robert Rice Reynolds was a Democratic U.S. senator from North Carolina between 1932 and 1945. Almost from the outset of his Senate career, "Our Bob," as he was known among supporters back home, acquired distinction as a passionate isolationist and increasingly as an apologist for Nazi aggression...
of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Less than five years later, she was found dead by her mother. A coroner's inquest determined the cause of death to be an accidental overdose of sleeping pills
Sleeping pills
Sleeping pills may refer to:*Hypnotic, a drug used to induce sleep*Sleeping Pills , an American film by Michael Lauter...
. Evalyn and Robert Reynolds had a daughter, Mamie Spears Reynolds. She married Italian racecar driver Luigi Chinetti
Luigi Chinetti
Luigi Chinetti was an Italian-born racecar driver, who emigrated to the United States during World War II and became an American citizen....
in 1963 and divorced two years later.
The couple's second son, Edward Beale McLean, Jr., married Ann Carroll Meem in May 1938. Their divorce was granted in July 1943, and he married a second time in August to actress Gloria Hatrick, with whom he had two sons Ronald and Michael. Ronald died during enemy fire whilst serving in Vietnam. McLean Jr. and Gloria divorced in January 1948. In October of that year he married Manuela "Mollie" Hudson, the former Mrs. Alfred Vanderbilt. In August 1949, ex-wife Gloria McLean married actor James Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
. McLean Jr. and Hudson-Vanderbilt separated in the 1960s and formally divorced in 1973, after which Edward married a fourth time to Patricia Dewey.
Divorce, mental illness, and death
The McLean marriage ended with much publicized and bitterly contested divorce proceedings, initiated by Mrs. McLean on grounds of infidelityInfidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
in October 1931. Edward McLean filed for divorce in a Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
court, but his wife obtained a permanent injunction from a District of Columbia court ordering the cessation of the Mexican proceedings. Edward McLean then suddenly announced he had already married Rose Douras, a sister of Hollywood film star Marion Davies
Marion Davies
Marion Davies was an American film actress. Davies is best remembered for her relationship with newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, as her high-profile social life often obscured her professional career....
. A marriage had in fact not occurred, but Edward McLean immediately took up residence in Riga, Latvia, where he again filed for a divorce. It was granted on December 13, 1932.
Edward McLean's increasingly erratic behaviour and reckless spending resulted in financial problems that led to the forced sale of the Washington Post by trustees appointed by the court. The divorce proceedings of Evalyn McLean continued in United States court but were dropped following an October 31, 1933 verdict by a jury in a Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
trial that declared Edward McLean to be legally insane and incapable of managing his affairs. The court ordered that he be committed indefinitely to a psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
.
Edward McLean died of a heart attack at Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital in Towson, Maryland
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
in 1941.
Lindbergh kidnapping fraud
During the divorce proceedings, Evalyn McLean was the victim of fraud associated with the Lindbergh kidnappingLindbergh kidnapping
The kidnapping of Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr., was the abduction of the son of aviator Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. The toddler, 18 months old at the time, was abducted from his family home in East Amwell, New Jersey, near the town of Hopewell, New Jersey, on the evening of...
, perpetrated by con-man Gaston Means
Gaston Means
Gaston Bullock Means was an American private detective, salesman, bootlegger, forger, swindler, murder suspect, blackmailer, and con artist....
. Means duped her into giving him $100,000, to be used to secure the release of the kidnapped son of Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
. He was eventually charged with fraud and imprisoned.