Walter Van Rensselaer Berry
Encyclopedia
Walter Van Rensselaer Berry (July 29, 1859 – 1927) was an American lawyer, diplomat, Francophile, and friend of several great writers.
, a descendant of the Van Rensselaer family of New York
. After attending St. Mark's School
and Harvard, he took a law degree at Columbia University
, practicing law in New York City
, Washington, D.C.
, and Paris
, where he pursued a career in international law and diplomacy. After serving as a judge at the International Tribunal of Egypt
from 1908 to 1911, he settled in Paris for the remainder of his life and became a strong advocate of France
, tirelessly promoting its cause in the United States
when World War I
broke out in 1914; he served as President of the American Chamber of Commerce
in Paris from 1916 to 1923. After the war he vigorously opposed both Germany
and the Soviet Union
.
A close friend of Henry James
and Edith Wharton
, who called him "the love of my life," he met Marcel Proust
in the summer of 1916, beginning "a friendship that was to be one of the most rewarding of Proust's final years."
He was a cousin of Harry Crosby
, leaving him in his will "my entire library except such items as my good friend Edith Wharton may care to choose."
Biography
Berry was born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, a descendant of the Van Rensselaer family of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. After attending St. Mark's School
St. Mark's School (Massachusetts)
St. Mark’s School is a coeducational, Episcopal, preparatory school, situated on in Southborough, Massachusetts, from Boston. It was founded in 1865 as an all-boys' school by Joseph Burnett, a wealthy native of Southborough who developed and marketed the world-famous Burnett Vanilla Extract . ...
and Harvard, he took a law degree at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, practicing law 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...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he pursued a career in international law and diplomacy. After serving as a judge at the International Tribunal of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
from 1908 to 1911, he settled in Paris for the remainder of his life and became a strong advocate of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, tirelessly promoting its cause in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out in 1914; he served as President of the American Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
in Paris from 1916 to 1923. After the war he vigorously opposed both Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
A close friend of Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
and Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton , was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, short story writer, and designer.- Early life and marriage:...
, who called him "the love of my life," he met Marcel Proust
Marcel Proust
Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental À la recherche du temps perdu...
in the summer of 1916, beginning "a friendship that was to be one of the most rewarding of Proust's final years."
He was a cousin of Harry Crosby
Harry Crosby
Harry Crosby was an American heir, a bon vivant, poet, publisher, and for some, epitomized the Lost Generation in American literature. He was the son of one of the richest banking families in New England, a member of the Boston Brahmin, and the nephew of Jane Norton Grew, the wife of financier J....
, leaving him in his will "my entire library except such items as my good friend Edith Wharton may care to choose."
External Links
- Walter Berry Papers, 1885-1927 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Special Collections Research Center