William Neal Reynolds
Encyclopedia
William Neal Reynolds was a U.S.
sportsman and businessman with R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, which was founded by his brother R. J. Reynolds.
, Reynolds went to work for his brother in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
in 1881 as he worked himself through Trinity College in Durham
(later Duke University
). From 1890 to 1940, Reynolds served as a director of Reynolds Co. He served as the first vice-president of the company until he took over the presidency in 1918.
in 1918; he turned the presidency over in 1924 to Bowman Gray, Sr.
The company then turned from "the dominance of its founder into the less personal sphere of corporate life." Reynolds became the first chairman of the board of directors of Reynolds Co. in 1924 until 1931 and then served as chairman of the board's executive committee until 1941.
Reynolds was the first president of the Forsyth Country Club and commissioned a nine-hole golf course
to be built. After eight years, in 1921, he brought in famed golf course designer Donald Ross to design an 18-hole course. In 1925, Reynolds founded another golf course, Roaring Gap, about an hour away from Winston-Salem and also designed by Ross.
R.J. Reynolds' widow Katherine died in 1924, and their four children were then raised by William Reynolds and his wife, Kate. Reynolds and Kate had no children of their own.
The youngest Reynolds child, Zachary Smith Reynolds
, called "Smith," was seven when his mother died. He was murder
ed at the age of 20 at his parents' estate, Reynolda House. His pregnant wife, Libby Holman
, and friend were indicted for the murder, in a sensational case that garnered national attention. Reynolds contacted the district attorney and asked for the charges against his nephew's alleged killers to be dropped; the prosecutor eventually did so for lack of evidence, and no trial on the matter was ever held. The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
was established in Smith Reynolds' name by Smith Reynolds' siblings and by Reynolds. The foundation lured Wake Forest University
away from its location 100 miles (160.9 km) away in Wake Forest, North Carolina
to establish a new campus on the grounds of Reynolda House and receive an annual endowment from the foundation.
Reynolds also built a hospital
in Winston-Salem specifically for African-Americans, named the Kate Bitting Reynolds Memorial Hospital in honor of his wife. In honor of his mother, he founded the Cox School in Stokes County, North Carolina
and the Hardin Reynolds School in Patrick County, Virginia to honor his father. The Kate B. Reynolds Trust uses one-fourth of the income collected each year from its more than two million shares of R.J. Reynolds Co. stock to help the "poor and needy" in Winston-Salem.
near Winston-Salem, Tanglewood Park Arboretum and Rose Garden
, and moved into it in 1921. Reynolds kept racehorses at Tanglewood for competition. In the racing season of 1909 to 1910, one of Reynolds' horses won 15 of 17 races conducted. He also owned interests in horse farms in Lexington, Kentucky
and Florida
.
He eventually donated Tanglewood to Forsyth County
for use as a park. Today, Tanglewood has three golf courses; a 18 hole par 3 course, the Reynolds Course, and the Championship Course which hosted the 1974 PGA Championship and was the site of a Champions Tour event from 1987-2002. Tanglewood also has horseback riding, bicycling, swimming and boating.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sportsman and businessman with R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, which was founded by his brother R. J. Reynolds.
Early life
Born in Patrick County, VirginiaPatrick County, Virginia
Patrick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 18,490. Its county seat is Stuart. It is located within both the rolling hills and valleys of the Piedmont Region of Virginia and mountainous Southwest Virginia....
, Reynolds went to work for his brother in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
in 1881 as he worked himself through Trinity College in Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
(later Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
). From 1890 to 1940, Reynolds served as a director of Reynolds Co. He served as the first vice-president of the company until he took over the presidency in 1918.
Chief executive of R.J. Reynolds
Always called "Mr. Will," Reynolds took over the presidency of the company after his brother's death from cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1918; he turned the presidency over in 1924 to Bowman Gray, Sr.
Bowman Gray, Sr.
Bowman Gray, Sr. was a former president and chairman of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and a major benefactor of Wake Forest University School of Medicine....
The company then turned from "the dominance of its founder into the less personal sphere of corporate life." Reynolds became the first chairman of the board of directors of Reynolds Co. in 1924 until 1931 and then served as chairman of the board's executive committee until 1941.
Personal life
Reynolds married Kate G. Bitting in 1889.Reynolds was the first president of the Forsyth Country Club and commissioned a nine-hole golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
to be built. After eight years, in 1921, he brought in famed golf course designer Donald Ross to design an 18-hole course. In 1925, Reynolds founded another golf course, Roaring Gap, about an hour away from Winston-Salem and also designed by Ross.
R.J. Reynolds' widow Katherine died in 1924, and their four children were then raised by William Reynolds and his wife, Kate. Reynolds and Kate had no children of their own.
The youngest Reynolds child, Zachary Smith Reynolds
Zachary Smith Reynolds
Zachary Smith Reynolds was an American amateur aviator and younger son of R. J. Reynolds.The Zachary Smith Reynolds story was the basis for two movies, Reckless, starring Jean Harlow, and the popular 1950s classic, Written on the Wind. The latter was loosely based on a novel by Robert Wilder...
, called "Smith," was seven when his mother died. He was murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed at the age of 20 at his parents' estate, Reynolda House. His pregnant wife, Libby Holman
Libby Holman
Libby Holman was an American torch singer and stage actress who also achieved notoriety for her complex and unconventional personal life.-Early life:...
, and friend were indicted for the murder, in a sensational case that garnered national attention. Reynolds contacted the district attorney and asked for the charges against his nephew's alleged killers to be dropped; the prosecutor eventually did so for lack of evidence, and no trial on the matter was ever held. The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation was formed by R.J. Reynolds' daughter, Mary Reynolds Babcock, and her siblings to honor their brother, Zachary Smith Reynolds, who was murdered at the age of 20 at the Reynolds family home, Reynolda House. The foundation to this day gives away millions of dollars...
was established in Smith Reynolds' name by Smith Reynolds' siblings and by Reynolds. The foundation lured Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
away from its location 100 miles (160.9 km) away in Wake Forest, North Carolina
Wake Forest, North Carolina
Wake Forest is a town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake County in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is located just north of the state capital, Raleigh. The population was 12,588 at the 2000 census. In 2009, the estimated population was 27,915...
to establish a new campus on the grounds of Reynolda House and receive an annual endowment from the foundation.
Reynolds also built a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
in Winston-Salem specifically for African-Americans, named the Kate Bitting Reynolds Memorial Hospital in honor of his wife. In honor of his mother, he founded the Cox School in Stokes County, North Carolina
Stokes County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 44,711 people, 17,579 households, and 13,043 families residing in the county. The population density was 99 people per square mile . There were 19,262 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile...
and the Hardin Reynolds School in Patrick County, Virginia to honor his father. The Kate B. Reynolds Trust uses one-fourth of the income collected each year from its more than two million shares of R.J. Reynolds Co. stock to help the "poor and needy" in Winston-Salem.
Tanglewood
Reynolds built a 1117 acres (4.5 km²) country estate on the Yadkin RiverYadkin River
The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina, flowing . It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway's Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river are impounded by dams for water, power, and flood control. The river becomes the Pee Dee...
near Winston-Salem, Tanglewood Park Arboretum and Rose Garden
Tanglewood Park Arboretum and Rose Garden
Tanglewood Park Arboretum and Rose Garden is an arboretum and garden located within Tanglewood Park at 4201 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, North Carolina. It is open daily without charge....
, and moved into it in 1921. Reynolds kept racehorses at Tanglewood for competition. In the racing season of 1909 to 1910, one of Reynolds' horses won 15 of 17 races conducted. He also owned interests in horse farms in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
He eventually donated Tanglewood to Forsyth County
Forsyth County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 306,067 people, 123,851 households, and 81,741 families residing in the county. The population density was 747 people per square mile . There were 133,093 housing units at an average density of 325 per square mile...
for use as a park. Today, Tanglewood has three golf courses; a 18 hole par 3 course, the Reynolds Course, and the Championship Course which hosted the 1974 PGA Championship and was the site of a Champions Tour event from 1987-2002. Tanglewood also has horseback riding, bicycling, swimming and boating.