John Eleuthère du Pont
Encyclopedia
John Eleuthère duPont was an American
multimillionaire and member of the prominent du Pont family
who was convicted of murder in the third degree
(of Freestyle wrestler
Dave Schultz
). He was also known as an amateur ornithologist and conchologist, philatelist, philanthropist
, coach
, and sports enthusiast.
, the son of William duPont, Jr.
and Jean Liseter Austin (1897–1988). His parents' nuptials—on January 1, 1919, in Rosemont
, Pennsylvania—were billed as the "Wedding of the Century" in media accounts. Jean's father, William Liseter Austin, an executive of the Baldwin Locomotive Works
, gave the couple more than 242 acre (0.97934012 km²) of land as a wedding gift. William duPont Sr. built Liseter Hall, a sumptuous, three-story Georgian
mansion, for the couple on the land in 1922
Both of his parents' families immigrated to the United States
in the early 19th century. DuPont was the youngest of four children; he had two older sisters, Jean duPont McConnell and Evelyn duPont Donaldson, and an older brother, Henry E. I. duPont.
DuPont graduated from Haverford School in 1957. He attended college in Miami, Florida
, where he studied under and was mentored by Oscar T. Owre, Ph.D. He graduated from the University of Miami
in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science
degree in zoology
. He also held a doctorate
in natural science from Villanova University
, which he received in 1973.
On September 3, 1983, he married therapist Gale Wenk, but the marriage was annulled
90 days later.
DuPont died on Thursday, December 9, 2010. A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
said duPont was found unresponsive in his bed at the Laurel Highland State Correctional Facility. He was pronounced dead at 6:55 a.m. at Somerset
Community Hospital. DuPont had unspecified health issues and had been ill.
wrestler Dave Schultz
the year before and sentenced to 13 to 40 years in prison. Experts at the trial testified that duPont suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.
On January 26, 1996, DuPont shot Schultz dead in the driveway of Schultz's home on duPont's 800 acres (3.2 km²) estate while Schultz's wife and duPont's head of security witnessed the crime. The security chief was sitting in the passenger seat of duPont's car while duPont shot 3 bullets into Schultz. Police did not establish a motive. Schultz was a longtime friend of duPont who had repeatedly tried to help him.
DuPont's friends said the shooting was uncharacteristic behavior for him. Joy Hansen Leutner, a triathlete from Hermosa Beach, California
, lived for two years on the estate. Leutner said duPont helped her through a stressful period in the mid 1980s. She later said, "with my family and friends, John gave me a new lease on life. He gave more than money; he gave himself emotionally." She expressed incredulity about the killing. She is quoted as saying "There's no way John in his right mind would have killed Dave."
Newtown Township
supervisor John S. Custer Jr. said, “at the time of the murder, John didn’t know what he was doing.” Charles King, Sr., a duPont stable hand and manager for 30 years, claimed he knew duPont well throughout his life. King's son Charles “Chuckie” King Jr. said he considered DuPont his friend during his childhood. Charles King Sr. blames the duPont security consultant for influencing what happened. King said “I don’t think John could shoot someone unless he was pushed to or was on drugs”. “After that guy starting hanging around him, my son always said Johnny changed. He was scared of everything. He was always a little off. But I never had problems with him, and my son never had problems.”
After the shooting, the multimillionaire locked himself in his mansion for two days while he negotiated with police on the telephone. Police turned off his power and were able to capture him when he went outside to fix his heater. During the trial one of the defense's expert psychiatric witness described DuPont as a paranoid schizophrenic
who believed Schultz was part of an international conspiracy to kill him. He said duPont believed people would break into his house and kill him, the reason he put razor wires in his attic.
DuPont pleaded "not guilty by reason of insanity". The insanity defense was thrown out and on February 25, 1997, a jury found him guilty of third degree murder but mentally ill. In Pennsylvania, third degree murder is a lesser charge than first degree (intentional) or second degree (during the perpetration of a felony) and indicates a lack of intent to kill. In Pennsylvania criminal code, "insanity" applies to someone whose "disease or defect" leaves him unable either to understand that his conduct is wrong or to conform it to the law. The jury verdict of "guilty but mentally ill" meant the sentence would be referred to Judge Patricia Jenkins who then was given the opportunity to sentence him from 5–40 years. A wrongful death lawsuit petitioned by Dave's widow Nancy following the guilty verdict resulted in Nancy and Dave's two children receiving a multi-million dollar settlement.
DuPont was sentenced to 13 to 30 years incarceration and was housed at the State Correctional Institute-Mercer, a minimum-security institution in the Pennsylvania prison system.
He was first eligible for parole January 29, 2009; however, it was denied. DuPont's maximum sentence would have ended on January 29, 2026, when duPont would have been 87. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the verdict in 2000. In 2010 the 3rd Circuit U.S. appeals court in Philadelphia rejected all but one issue raised on appeal (involving his use of a Bulgarian prescription drug, scopolamine
, before he fatally shot Schultz in 1996), and requested written briefs.
However, DuPont died in prison on December 9, 2010.
, duPont is credited with the discovery of two dozen species of birds. He wrote a number of books on the subject of birds, including: South Pacific Birds, South Sulu Archipelago
Birds; an Expedition Report, Birds of Dinagat and Siargao, Philippines
; an Expedition Report, and Philippine Birds. He was the second author of Living Volutes: a Monograph of the Recent Volutidae
of the World, which he co-wrote with Clifton Stokes Weaver.
. In a 1980 auction
, while bidding anonymously, he paid $935,000 for one of the rarest stamps in the world, the British Guiana
1856 1c black on magenta
.
. He was also involved in promoting a subset of the modern pentathlon (run, swim, shoot) as a separate event.
DuPont was a competitive wrestler. His only wrestling experience prior to taking up the sport in his late 50's was as a freshman in high school. He began competing again at the age of 55 in the 1992 Veteran's World Championships in Cali
, Colombia
; in 1993 in Toronto
, Canada
; in 1994 in Rome
, Italy
; and in 1995 in Sofia
, Bulgaria
.
in 1957 which opened to the public in 1972. He was the institution's director for many years.
He helped fund a new basketball
arena at Villanova University
which opened in 1986. Originally, the venue was called duPont Pavilion, but his name was removed from the facility after his conviction. Today, the building simply is called The Pavilion
.
After his mother's death, duPont turned his 440 acres (1.8 km²) estate in Newtown Square into a wrestling facility for amateur wrestlers. DuPont's wrestling team was called "Team Foxcatcher."
racing stable.
The operations under Willie and Jean were among the envy of horse racing operations. In the 1920s and ’30s, Liseter Hall was considered the nec plus ultra
of Mid-Atlantic horse facilities. In addition to the indoor galloping track, the farm featured a large barn for race horses; a 40 feet (12.2 m)-wide by 120 feet (36.6 m)-long indoor riding ring, still used by King for breaking and schooling; the half-mile training track and its adjacent combination viewing stand/water tower; a breeding shed, which continues to host matings for Two Davids and Tricky Mister; a hunter barn; a show horse barn; a loading barn with ramps for transporting horses to competition; and a grassy, half-mile chute that connected the training track with the race horse, hunter and show horse barns.
Before, during and after the legal issues following John (cited above) significant changes occurred to the duPont property. First to go: John's mother’s dairy herd, nearly 70 Guernseys, in the fall of 1996. Next, the dairy farm itself, sold by the Delaware Museum of Natural History, which he formerly headed, in January 1998. Since then, the land, where Jean Austin du Pont’s cows grazed for much of the 20th century, changed hands again, and now is slated to become the campus for a relocated prep school, as well as a community of new million-dollar-plus homes. That left only the 400-plus acres of Foxcatcher Farm.
and a Russian Czar.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
multimillionaire and member of the prominent du Pont family
Du Pont family
The Du Pont family is an American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours . The son of a Paris watchmaker and a member of a Burgundian noble family, he and his sons, Victor Marie du Pont and Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, emigrated to the United States in 1800 and used the resources of...
who was convicted of murder in the third degree
Murder (United States law)
In the United States, the principle of dual sovereignty applies to homicide, as to other crimes. If murder is committed within the borders of a state, that state has jurisdiction. Similarly, if the crime is committed in the District of Columbia, the D.C Superior Court retains jurisdiction,...
(of Freestyle wrestler
Freestyle wrestling
Freestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practised throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history...
Dave Schultz
Dave Schultz (amateur wrestler)
David Leslie Schultz was an Olympic and world champion freestyle wrestler.-Early life:...
). He was also known as an amateur ornithologist and conchologist, philatelist, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, and sports enthusiast.
Personal life
John duPont was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, the son of William duPont, Jr.
William duPont, Jr.
William duPont, Jr. was an American businessman and banker and a prominent figure in the sport of thoroughbred horse racing. A member of the Delaware Du Pont family, he was the son of William du Pont and Annie Rogers , and brother to horsewoman, Marion.In 1919, he married Jean Liseter Austin...
and Jean Liseter Austin (1897–1988). His parents' nuptials—on January 1, 1919, in Rosemont
Rosemont, Pennsylvania
Rosemont is a community in Pennsylvania on the Pennsylvania Main Line lying partly in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania and partly in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.Part of the geographic area is served by the Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, ZIP code...
, Pennsylvania—were billed as the "Wedding of the Century" in media accounts. Jean's father, William Liseter Austin, an executive of the Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
, gave the couple more than 242 acre (0.97934012 km²) of land as a wedding gift. William duPont Sr. built Liseter Hall, a sumptuous, three-story Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
mansion, for the couple on the land in 1922
Both of his parents' families immigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the early 19th century. DuPont was the youngest of four children; he had two older sisters, Jean duPont McConnell and Evelyn duPont Donaldson, and an older brother, Henry E. I. duPont.
DuPont graduated from Haverford School in 1957. He attended college in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, where he studied under and was mentored by Oscar T. Owre, Ph.D. He graduated from the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
. He also held a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in natural science from Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
, which he received in 1973.
On September 3, 1983, he married therapist Gale Wenk, but the marriage was annulled
Annulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
90 days later.
DuPont died on Thursday, December 9, 2010. A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections is the Pennsylvania state agency that is responsible for the confinement, care and rehabilitation of approximately 51,000 inmates at state correctional facilities funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
said duPont was found unresponsive in his bed at the Laurel Highland State Correctional Facility. He was pronounced dead at 6:55 a.m. at Somerset
Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Somerset County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 77,742. Somerset County was created on April 17, 1795, from part of Bedford County and named for Somerset, United Kingdom. Its county seat is Somerset. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania,...
Community Hospital. DuPont had unspecified health issues and had been ill.
David Schultz murder
In 1997, DuPont was convicted of murdering Olympic Gold MedalistOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
wrestler Dave Schultz
Dave Schultz (amateur wrestler)
David Leslie Schultz was an Olympic and world champion freestyle wrestler.-Early life:...
the year before and sentenced to 13 to 40 years in prison. Experts at the trial testified that duPont suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.
On January 26, 1996, DuPont shot Schultz dead in the driveway of Schultz's home on duPont's 800 acres (3.2 km²) estate while Schultz's wife and duPont's head of security witnessed the crime. The security chief was sitting in the passenger seat of duPont's car while duPont shot 3 bullets into Schultz. Police did not establish a motive. Schultz was a longtime friend of duPont who had repeatedly tried to help him.
DuPont's friends said the shooting was uncharacteristic behavior for him. Joy Hansen Leutner, a triathlete from Hermosa Beach, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, lived for two years on the estate. Leutner said duPont helped her through a stressful period in the mid 1980s. She later said, "with my family and friends, John gave me a new lease on life. He gave more than money; he gave himself emotionally." She expressed incredulity about the killing. She is quoted as saying "There's no way John in his right mind would have killed Dave."
Newtown Township
Newtown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Newtown Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States . Newtown Township is the oldest township in Delaware County. The population was 11,700 as of the 2000 census.-History:...
supervisor John S. Custer Jr. said, “at the time of the murder, John didn’t know what he was doing.” Charles King, Sr., a duPont stable hand and manager for 30 years, claimed he knew duPont well throughout his life. King's son Charles “Chuckie” King Jr. said he considered DuPont his friend during his childhood. Charles King Sr. blames the duPont security consultant for influencing what happened. King said “I don’t think John could shoot someone unless he was pushed to or was on drugs”. “After that guy starting hanging around him, my son always said Johnny changed. He was scared of everything. He was always a little off. But I never had problems with him, and my son never had problems.”
After the shooting, the multimillionaire locked himself in his mansion for two days while he negotiated with police on the telephone. Police turned off his power and were able to capture him when he went outside to fix his heater. During the trial one of the defense's expert psychiatric witness described DuPont as a paranoid schizophrenic
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
who believed Schultz was part of an international conspiracy to kill him. He said duPont believed people would break into his house and kill him, the reason he put razor wires in his attic.
DuPont pleaded "not guilty by reason of insanity". The insanity defense was thrown out and on February 25, 1997, a jury found him guilty of third degree murder but mentally ill. In Pennsylvania, third degree murder is a lesser charge than first degree (intentional) or second degree (during the perpetration of a felony) and indicates a lack of intent to kill. In Pennsylvania criminal code, "insanity" applies to someone whose "disease or defect" leaves him unable either to understand that his conduct is wrong or to conform it to the law. The jury verdict of "guilty but mentally ill" meant the sentence would be referred to Judge Patricia Jenkins who then was given the opportunity to sentence him from 5–40 years. A wrongful death lawsuit petitioned by Dave's widow Nancy following the guilty verdict resulted in Nancy and Dave's two children receiving a multi-million dollar settlement.
DuPont was sentenced to 13 to 30 years incarceration and was housed at the State Correctional Institute-Mercer, a minimum-security institution in the Pennsylvania prison system.
He was first eligible for parole January 29, 2009; however, it was denied. DuPont's maximum sentence would have ended on January 29, 2026, when duPont would have been 87. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the verdict in 2000. In 2010 the 3rd Circuit U.S. appeals court in Philadelphia rejected all but one issue raised on appeal (involving his use of a Bulgarian prescription drug, scopolamine
Scopolamine
Scopolamine, also known as levo-duboisine, and hyoscine, is a tropane alkaloid drug with muscarinic antagonist effects. It is among the secondary metabolites of plants from Solanaceae family of plants, such as henbane, jimson weed and Angel's Trumpets , and corkwood...
, before he fatally shot Schultz in 1996), and requested written briefs.
However, DuPont died in prison on December 9, 2010.
Ornithology
As an ornithologistOrnithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
, duPont is credited with the discovery of two dozen species of birds. He wrote a number of books on the subject of birds, including: South Pacific Birds, South Sulu Archipelago
Sulu Archipelago
The Sulu Archipelago is a chain of islands in the southwestern Philippines. This archipelago is considered to be part of the Moroland by the local rebel independence movement. This island group forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea....
Birds; an Expedition Report, Birds of Dinagat and Siargao, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
; an Expedition Report, and Philippine Birds. He was the second author of Living Volutes: a Monograph of the Recent Volutidae
Volutidae
Volutidae, common name volutes, are a taxonomic family of predatory sea snails that range in size from 9 mm to over 500 mm, marine gastropod mollusks...
of the World, which he co-wrote with Clifton Stokes Weaver.
Philately
Du Pont was also a philatelistPhilately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
. In a 1980 auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
, while bidding anonymously, he paid $935,000 for one of the rarest stamps in the world, the British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
1856 1c black on magenta
British Guiana 1c magenta
The British Guiana 1c magenta is regarded by many philatelists as the world's most famous stamp. It was issued in limited numbers in British Guiana in 1856, and only one specimen is now known to exist....
.
Athletics
Before his arrest, duPont was an athlete and coach in wrestling, swimming, track, and modern pentathlonPentathlon
A pentathlon is a contest featuring five different events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words pente and -athlon . The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Ancient Olympic Games...
. He was also involved in promoting a subset of the modern pentathlon (run, swim, shoot) as a separate event.
DuPont was a competitive wrestler. His only wrestling experience prior to taking up the sport in his late 50's was as a freshman in high school. He began competing again at the age of 55 in the 1992 Veteran's World Championships in Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
; in 1993 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
; in 1994 in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
; and in 1995 in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
Supported institutions
DuPont founded the Delaware Museum of Natural HistoryDelaware Museum of Natural History
The Delaware Museum of Natural History was founded in 1957 by John Eleuthere du Pont near Greenville, Delaware and opened in 1972. It is known for its extensive collections of seashells, birds, and bird eggs. It is the oldest natural history museum in Delaware....
in 1957 which opened to the public in 1972. He was the institution's director for many years.
He helped fund a new basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
arena at Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
which opened in 1986. Originally, the venue was called duPont Pavilion, but his name was removed from the facility after his conviction. Today, the building simply is called The Pavilion
The Pavilion
The Pavilion is a 6,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States, about 20 miles outside of Philadelphia. It was built in 1985, and is home to the Villanova University Wildcats basketball teams. It is recognizable from the outside for its hyperbolic paraboloid roofline,...
.
After his mother's death, duPont turned his 440 acres (1.8 km²) estate in Newtown Square into a wrestling facility for amateur wrestlers. DuPont's wrestling team was called "Team Foxcatcher."
Foxcatcher Farm
William Sr. built Liseter Hall for Willie and Jean in 1925 on more than 600 acres (2.4 km²) of land given to the couple as a wedding gift in 1919 by Jean’s father, William Liseter Austin, an executive of Baldwin Locomotive Works. The DuPonts divorced in 1940, but Jean Austin du Pont maintained Liseter Hall Farm until her death in 1988, at which point Willie and Jean’s son John Eleuthere duPont assumed stewardship and renamed it Foxcatcher Farm after his father's famed ThoroughbredThoroughbred
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...
racing stable.
The operations under Willie and Jean were among the envy of horse racing operations. In the 1920s and ’30s, Liseter Hall was considered the nec plus ultra
Plus Ultra (motto)
Plus ultra is the national motto of Spain adopted from the personal motto of Charles I of Spain. Earl Rosenthal, author of The Palace of Charles V in Granada , has researched the origin of the motto...
of Mid-Atlantic horse facilities. In addition to the indoor galloping track, the farm featured a large barn for race horses; a 40 feet (12.2 m)-wide by 120 feet (36.6 m)-long indoor riding ring, still used by King for breaking and schooling; the half-mile training track and its adjacent combination viewing stand/water tower; a breeding shed, which continues to host matings for Two Davids and Tricky Mister; a hunter barn; a show horse barn; a loading barn with ramps for transporting horses to competition; and a grassy, half-mile chute that connected the training track with the race horse, hunter and show horse barns.
Before, during and after the legal issues following John (cited above) significant changes occurred to the duPont property. First to go: John's mother’s dairy herd, nearly 70 Guernseys, in the fall of 1996. Next, the dairy farm itself, sold by the Delaware Museum of Natural History, which he formerly headed, in January 1998. Since then, the land, where Jean Austin du Pont’s cows grazed for much of the 20th century, changed hands again, and now is slated to become the campus for a relocated prep school, as well as a community of new million-dollar-plus homes. That left only the 400-plus acres of Foxcatcher Farm.
Disputed will
In June of 2011, relatives of duPont, Beverly A. du Pont Gauggel and William H. du Pont, filed a petition in Media, PA, that suggested duPont was not "of sound mind" when his will was made up. Also in the petition, claims were made that duPont believed that he was alternately Jesus Christ, the Dalai LamaDalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
and a Russian Czar.
External links
- "LIFE photos", LIFE, US Olympic pentathlete, August 1967.
- "flickr", Collector, May 2008.
- LIFE Aug 4, 1967 "How About At Your Place?" Said the Colonel"