William R. Coe
Encyclopedia
William Robertson Coe was an insurance
, railroad and business executive, as well as a collector of Americana and an important philanthropist
for the academic discipline of American Studies
.
, Staffordshire
, England
. His father, Frederick Augustus Coe
, was then cashier in a local iron works, but later became manager. His mother, Margaret Robertson, was a native of Edinburgh
, Scotland
. Coe received his early schooling at Albion Academy in Cardiff
, Wales
. At the start of the 1880s, his family resided in Gloucester, where Coe was confirmed at the local cathedral. In 1883, his parents and their ten children (William was fifth of the ten) emigrated to the United States and settled in New Jersey
across the Delaware River
from Philadelphia.
broker. The brokerage was acquired by Johnson and Higgins Insurance Co., and Coe rose to become a manager of the adjusting (claims) department in the New York City office of the maritime insurer. As a young widower following the death of his first wife, during a cruise to England in 1900, he met Mai Rogers, the youngest daughter of industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers
, a key man in Standard Oil
.
from 1910 until his death in 1955, and headed the company for a brief period during World War II
. He was also a director of Loup Creek Colliery and the Wyoming Land Company. One of his sons, William Rogers Coe
, led the financial management of the Virginian Railway for many years as vice-president and treasurer, with offices in New York City.
On June 4, 1900, Coe married Mai Rogers, the youngest daughter of industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers and Abbie Gifford Rogers
. The Coes had four children: William Rogers Coe
(1901–1971), Robert Douglas Coe
(1902–1985), Henry Huttleston Rogers Coe
(1907–1966), and Natalie Mai Coe
(1910–1987).
In December 1926, after the death of Mai Rogers Coe, Coe married Caroline Graham Slaughter. She was the former wife of E. Dick Slaughter, a daughter of Alexander Hutchinson Graham and Cornelia Ligon Graham, and a granddaughter of Alabama lieutenant-governor Robert Fulwood Ligon.
horse racing
enthusiast. He built a riding stable on his "Planting Fields" estate and put together a racing stable based at the Saratoga Race Course
in Saratoga Springs, New York
. Coe's filly
Black Maria
won the Kentucky Oaks
in 1926, the Metropolitan Handicap
in 1927, and the first running of the Whitney Handicap
in 1928. Black Maria was voted the U.S. Champion Older Female Horse
for 1927 and 1928. Among his stables' other notable horses were Cleopatra
, the 1920 U.S. Champion 3-year-old Filly, and Ladysman
, which won the 1932 Hopeful Stakes
and was the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.
Six of Coe's horses competed in the Kentucky Derby
. His best finish came in 1937, when Pompoon
finished second to War Admiral
. Coe established Shoshone Stud, and in 1923, he paid $110,000 for The Finn
, a then record price for a sire
. The Finn died two years later. Coe's colt Pompey
won the 1926 Wood Memorial Stakes
and was a successful sire; his offspring include Secretariat
.
's 492 acres (2 km²) hunting camp, Irma Lake Lodge, in Cody, Wyoming. For 45 years, he collected Americana
memorabilia, gathering original diaries, manuscripts, letters and photographs depicting the struggles of the pioneer settlers. In 1948, the William Robertson Coe Collection was presented to Yale University
.
At the University of Wyoming, the William Robertson Coe Library, History building, and program in American Studies represent a substantial contribution of private funds to public higher education. The building was completed in 1958 and dedicated to the promotion of American ideals and free enterprise according to his wishes. A bust of William R. Coe occupies the foyer of the history building at the University of Wyoming.
In 2010, the University of Wyoming reopened the William Robertson Coe Library after two years of renovations. Several of Coe's descendants attended the reopening.
Donations from William R. Coe also helped build the Coe Medical Center, now West Park Hospital, in Cody, Wyoming.
William Robertson Coe (June 8, 1869 – March 15, 1955) was an insurance
, railroad and business executive, as well as a collector of Americana and an important philanthropist
for the academic discipline of American Studies
.
, Staffordshire
, England
. His father, Frederick Augustus Coe
, was then cashier in a local iron works, but later became manager. His mother, Margaret Robertson, was a native of Edinburgh
, Scotland
. Coe received his early schooling at Albion Academy in Cardiff
, Wales
. At the start of the 1880s, his family resided in Gloucester, where Coe was confirmed at the local cathedral. In 1883, his parents and their ten children (William was fifth of the ten) emigrated to the United States and settled in New Jersey
across the Delaware River
from Philadelphia.
broker. The brokerage was acquired by Johnson and Higgins Insurance Co., and Coe rose to become a manager of the adjusting (claims) department in the New York City office of the maritime insurer. As a young widower following the death of his first wife, during a cruise to England in 1900, he met Mai Rogers, the youngest daughter of industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers
, a key man in Standard Oil
.
from 1910 until his death in 1955, and headed the company for a brief period during World War II
. He was also a director of Loup Creek Colliery and the Wyoming Land Company. One of his sons, William Rogers Coe
, led the financial management of the Virginian Railway for many years as vice-president and treasurer, with offices in New York City.
On June 4, 1900, Coe married Mai Rogers, the youngest daughter of industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers and Abbie Gifford Rogers
. The Coes had four children: William Rogers Coe
(1901–1971), Robert Douglas Coe
(1902–1985), Henry Huttleston Rogers Coe
(1907–1966), and Natalie Mai Coe
(1910–1987).
In December 1926, after the death of Mai Rogers Coe, Coe married Caroline Graham Slaughter. She was the former wife of E. Dick Slaughter, a daughter of Alexander Hutchinson Graham and Cornelia Ligon Graham, and a granddaughter of Alabama lieutenant-governor Robert Fulwood Ligon.
horse racing
enthusiast. He built a riding stable on his "Planting Fields" estate and put together a racing stable based at the Saratoga Race Course
in Saratoga Springs, New York
. Coe's filly
Black Maria
won the Kentucky Oaks
in 1926, the Metropolitan Handicap
in 1927, and the first running of the Whitney Handicap
in 1928. Black Maria was voted the U.S. Champion Older Female Horse
for 1927 and 1928. Among his stables' other notable horses were Cleopatra
, the 1920 U.S. Champion 3-year-old Filly, and Ladysman
, which won the 1932 Hopeful Stakes
and was the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.
Six of Coe's horses competed in the Kentucky Derby
. His best finish came in 1937, when Pompoon
finished second to War Admiral
. Coe established Shoshone Stud, and in 1923, he paid $110,000 for The Finn
, a then record price for a sire
. The Finn died two years later. Coe's colt Pompey
won the 1926 Wood Memorial Stakes
and was a successful sire; his offspring include Secretariat
.
's 492 acres (2 km²) hunting camp, Irma Lake Lodge, in Cody, Wyoming.The family sold it in 1986. For 45 years, he collected Americana
memorabilia, gathering original diaries, manuscripts, letters and photographs depicting the struggles of the pioneer settlers. In 1948, the William Robertson Coe Collection was presented to Yale University
.
At the University of Wyoming, the William Robertson Coe Library, History building, and program in American Studies represent a substantial contribution of private funds to public higher education. The building was completed in 1958 and dedicated to the promotion of American ideals and free enterprise according to his wishes. A bust of William R. Coe occupies the foyer of the history building at the University of Wyoming.
In 2010, the University of Wyoming reopened the William Robertson Coe Library after two years of renovations. Several of Coe's descendants attended the reopening.
Donations from William R. Coe also helped build the Coe Medical Center, now West Park Hospital, in Cody, Wyoming.
William Robertson Coe (June 8, 1869 – March 15, 1955) was an insurance
, railroad and business executive, as well as a collector of Americana and an important philanthropist
for the academic discipline of American Studies
.
, Staffordshire
, England
. His father, Frederick Augustus Coe
, was then cashier in a local iron works, but later became manager. His mother, Margaret Robertson, was a native of Edinburgh
, Scotland
. Coe received his early schooling at Albion Academy in Cardiff
, Wales
. At the start of the 1880s, his family resided in Gloucester, where Coe was confirmed at the local cathedral. In 1883, his parents and their ten children (William was fifth of the ten) emigrated to the United States and settled in New Jersey
across the Delaware River
from Philadelphia.
broker. The brokerage was acquired by Johnson and Higgins Insurance Co., and Coe rose to become a manager of the adjusting (claims) department in the New York City office of the maritime insurer. As a young widower following the death of his first wife, during a cruise to England in 1900, he met Mai Rogers, the youngest daughter of industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers
, a key man in Standard Oil
.
from 1910 until his death in 1955, and headed the company for a brief period during World War II
. He was also a director of Loup Creek Colliery and the Wyoming Land Company. One of his sons, William Rogers Coe
, led the financial management of the Virginian Railway for many years as vice-president and treasurer, with offices in New York City.
On June 4, 1900, Coe married Mai Rogers, the youngest daughter of industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers and Abbie Gifford Rogers
. The Coes had four children: William Rogers Coe
(1901–1971), Robert Douglas Coe
(1902–1985), Henry Huttleston Rogers Coe
(1907–1966), and Natalie Mai Coe
(1910–1987).
In December 1926, after the death of Mai Rogers Coe, Coe married Caroline Graham Slaughter. She was the former wife of E. Dick Slaughter, a daughter of Alexander Hutchinson Graham and Cornelia Ligon Graham, and a granddaughter of Alabama lieutenant-governor Robert Fulwood Ligon.
horse racing
enthusiast. He built a riding stable on his "Planting Fields" estate and put together a racing stable based at the Saratoga Race Course
in Saratoga Springs, New York
. Coe's filly
Black Maria
won the Kentucky Oaks
in 1926, the Metropolitan Handicap
in 1927, and the first running of the Whitney Handicap
in 1928. Black Maria was voted the U.S. Champion Older Female Horse
for 1927 and 1928. Among his stables' other notable horses were Cleopatra
, the 1920 U.S. Champion 3-year-old Filly, and Ladysman
, which won the 1932 Hopeful Stakes
and was the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.
Six of Coe's horses competed in the Kentucky Derby
. His best finish came in 1937, when Pompoon
finished second to War Admiral
. Coe established Shoshone Stud, and in 1923, he paid $110,000 for The Finn
, a then record price for a sire
. The Finn died two years later. Coe's colt Pompey
won the 1926 Wood Memorial Stakes
and was a successful sire; his offspring include Secretariat
.
's 492 acres (2 km²) hunting camp, Irma Lake Lodge, in Cody, Wyoming.The family sold it in 1986. For 45 years, he collected Americana
memorabilia, gathering original diaries, manuscripts, letters and photographs depicting the struggles of the pioneer settlers. In 1948, the William Robertson Coe Collection was presented to Yale University
.
At the University of Wyoming, the William Robertson Coe Library, History building, and program in American Studies represent a substantial contribution of private funds to public higher education. The building was completed in 1958 and dedicated to the promotion of American ideals and free enterprise according to his wishes. A bust of William R. Coe occupies the foyer of the history building at the University of Wyoming.
In 2010, the University of Wyoming reopened the William Robertson Coe Library after two years of renovations. Several of Coe's descendants attended the reopening.
Donations from William R. Coe also helped build the Coe Medical Center, now West Park Hospital, in Cody, Wyoming. http://www.codymedicalfoundation.com/history.htmlThe Remington Studio Collection (Frederick Remington), as well as other works of art, were purchased by the Coe Foundation and are on display at the Whitney Gallery of Art in Cody, Wyoming. The town of Cody also received many benefactions from him, including its first paved streets, and the clock on the town hall.http://www.plantingfields.org/ourstory/Coe/Coe1.cfm
in Upper Brookville, New York
, was built around 1911 on the famous Gold Coast of Long Island. Coe Hall, the manor house, was designed by the firm of Walker and Gillette and built between 1918 and 1921.
The Coes' interest in rare species of trees and plant collections made the estate a botanical marvel. The 409 acres (1.7 km²) estate was deeded to the State of New York
in 1949. Today, operated by a foundation, Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park is a popular attraction. The historic gates, built in 1712 in Sussex, England (which Coe had imported), have been used as a setting for numerous films.
attack at his new home in Palm Beach, Florida
on March 15, 1955, he was buried at Locust Valley
on Long Island.
Two years after his death, in 1957, the Virginian Railway
named its new tugboat
W. R. Coe in his memory. After the VGN merger with the Norfolk and Western in 1959, it was renamed R.B. Claytor (for the N&W leader, Robert B. Claytor
). As of 2003, the tugboat was serving the harbor of Boston as the Karen B. Tibbetts.
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
, railroad and business executive, as well as a collector of Americana and an important 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...
for the academic discipline of American Studies
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
.
Early life
William Coe was born in KingswinfordKingswinford
Kingswinford is a suburban area in the West Midlands.Historically within Staffordshire, the area is mentioned in the Domesday Book its name relates to a ford for the King's swine - Latin Swinford Regis. The current significance is probably in tourism, education and housing...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His father, Frederick Augustus Coe
Frederick Augustus Coe
Frederick Augustus Coe was a cashier in a local iron works in Kingswinford, Staffordshire, England, though later became an iron works manager. Frederick's wife Margaret Robertson was a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. The family lived in Cardiff, Wales, by 1874...
, was then cashier in a local iron works, but later became manager. His mother, Margaret Robertson, was a native of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Coe received his early schooling at Albion Academy in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. At the start of the 1880s, his family resided in Gloucester, where Coe was confirmed at the local cathedral. In 1883, his parents and their ten children (William was fifth of the ten) emigrated to the United States and settled in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
across the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
from Philadelphia.
Insurance
At the age of 15, William began working as an office boy for a Philadelphia insuranceInsurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
broker. The brokerage was acquired by Johnson and Higgins Insurance Co., and Coe rose to become a manager of the adjusting (claims) department in the New York City office of the maritime insurer. As a young widower following the death of his first wife, during a cruise to England in 1900, he met Mai Rogers, the youngest daughter of industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers
Henry H. Rogers
Henry Huttleston Rogers was a United States capitalist, businessman, industrialist, financier, and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the oil refinery business, becoming a leader at Standard Oil....
, a key man in Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
.
RMS Titanic
This marriage brought connections with Standard Oil that expanded Johnson and Higgins' business immensely, while it opened personal business opportunities for Coe. By 1910, Coe had become president of Johnson and Higgins and was involved in insuring the "unsinkable" hull of the RMS Titanic, which sank on its maiden voyage in 1912. Notwithstanding his involvement with the Titanic disaster, Coe rose to chairman of the board of Johnson and Higgins by 1916.Virginian Railway
Coe was on the Board of Directors of the Virginian RailwayVirginian Railway
The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads....
from 1910 until his death in 1955, and headed the company for a brief period during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was also a director of Loup Creek Colliery and the Wyoming Land Company. One of his sons, William Rogers Coe
William Rogers Coe
William "Bill" Rogers Coe was the first son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe. He followed his father into the railway business.Educated at St...
, led the financial management of the Virginian Railway for many years as vice-president and treasurer, with offices in New York City.
Family
Coe's first marriage was to Jane Hutchinson Falligant in 1893, the daughter of Judge Robert Falligant of Savannah, Georgia. She died approximately five years later without having children.On June 4, 1900, Coe married Mai Rogers, the youngest daughter of industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers and Abbie Gifford Rogers
Abbie G. Rogers
Abbie Gifford Rogers , was the first wife of Henry Huttleston Rogers, , a United States capitalist, businesswoman, industrialist, financier, and philanthropist....
. The Coes had four children: William Rogers Coe
William Rogers Coe
William "Bill" Rogers Coe was the first son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe. He followed his father into the railway business.Educated at St...
(1901–1971), Robert Douglas Coe
Robert Douglas Coe
Robert Douglas Coe was a career diplomat and the U.S. ambassador to Denmark from 1953 to 1957.-Biography:He was the second son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe. He attended St. Paul's School; later he received an A.B. in fine arts from Harvard University, and completed an M.A...
(1902–1985), Henry Huttleston Rogers Coe
Henry Huttleston Rogers Coe
Henry Huttleston Rogers Coe or Hank as he was known to his wife and friends, was the third and youngest son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe....
(1907–1966), and Natalie Mai Coe
Natalie Mai Vitetti
Natalie Mai Coe, Countess Vitetti was the only daughter of insurance and railroad executive William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Coe....
(1910–1987).
In December 1926, after the death of Mai Rogers Coe, Coe married Caroline Graham Slaughter. She was the former wife of E. Dick Slaughter, a daughter of Alexander Hutchinson Graham and Cornelia Ligon Graham, and a granddaughter of Alabama lieutenant-governor Robert Fulwood Ligon.
Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding
Coe liked horses and was a 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...
horse racing
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...
enthusiast. He built a riding stable on his "Planting Fields" estate and put together a racing stable based at the Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
in Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
. Coe's filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
Black Maria
Black Maria (horse)
Black Maria was an American Thoroughbred racing filly who earned national Champion honors three times. Bred in Kentucky by William R. Coe, she was sired by Black Toney, the great foundation stallion of Idle Hour Stock Farm...
won the Kentucky Oaks
Kentucky Oaks
The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers 1⅛ miles at Churchill Downs; the horses carry 121 pounds . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year...
in 1926, the Metropolitan Handicap
Metropolitan Handicap
The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile," is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile .The Met Mile was first...
in 1927, and the first running of the Whitney Handicap
Whitney Handicap
The Whitney Handicap is an American Grade 1 handicap race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of 1⅛ miles. In 2007, the Breeders' Cup Ltd...
in 1928. Black Maria was voted the U.S. Champion Older Female Horse
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Female Horse
The Eclipse Award for Champion Older Female Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. The Daily Racing Form began naming an annual champion in 1936. Starting in 1950, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations began naming its own champion. The following list provides the name of the horses...
for 1927 and 1928. Among his stables' other notable horses were Cleopatra
Cleopatra (horse)
Cleopatra was an American Champion Thoroughbred filly racehorse. Her sire was the one of Great Britian]]'s top stallions Corcyra, a son of three-time the Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland Polymelus. Her dam was Gallice, a daughter of Gallinule...
, the 1920 U.S. Champion 3-year-old Filly, and Ladysman
Ladysman
Ladysman was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the son of Pompey who won the 1947 Hopeful Stakes as a two-year-old and the prestigious Suburban Handicap as a four year-old but will be best remembered for his runner up performance to Head Play in the second jewel of the Triple Crown in the...
, which won the 1932 Hopeful Stakes
Hopeful Stakes (USA)
The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically has been a showcase for some of the top East Coast horses...
and was the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.
Six of Coe's horses competed 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...
. His best finish came in 1937, when Pompoon
Pompoon
Pompoon was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was voted American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt for 1936.At age two, Pompoon won the Belmont Futurity Stakes and defeated War Admiral to win the National Stallion Stakes...
finished second to War Admiral
War Admiral
War Admiral was an American thoroughbred racehorse, the offspring of the great thoroughbred Man o' War and the mare Brushup. He inherited his father's fiery temperament and talent, but did not resemble him physically...
. Coe established Shoshone Stud, and in 1923, he paid $110,000 for The Finn
The Finn
The Finn was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that is best remembered as the winner of the 1915 Belmont Stakes and as the sire of Zev and Flying Ebony, the respective winners of the 1923 and 1925 Kentucky Derbies. The Finn was foaled in Lexington, Kentucky at Hamburg Place, the stud farm of John...
, a then record price for a sire
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
. The Finn died two years later. Coe's colt Pompey
Pompey (horse)
Pompey was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by William Coe and raced under the colors of his Shoshone Stable. Pompey was a son of Sun Briar who also sired U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Sun Beau. His dam was Sweet Briar, a French daughter of Leopold de Rothschild's St...
won the 1926 Wood Memorial Stakes
Wood Memorial Stakes
The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, New York. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....
and was a successful sire; his offspring include Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
.
American West
Coe was a fan of the American West; in 1910, he purchased Colonel William F. "Buffalo Bill" CodyBuffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
's 492 acres (2 km²) hunting camp, Irma Lake Lodge, in Cody, Wyoming. For 45 years, he collected Americana
Americana
Americana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects,...
memorabilia, gathering original diaries, manuscripts, letters and photographs depicting the struggles of the pioneer settlers. In 1948, the William Robertson Coe Collection was presented to Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
American Studies Philanthropy
Mr. Coe's interest in Americana and anti-Communist politics led him to establish programs in American Studies at forty colleges and universities, with continuing funding through the Coe Foundation. He endowed professorships at Yale, Stanford, and the University of Wyoming. Coe saw his support of American Studies as a way to counter the ideological threats of communism during the Cold War.Donations in Wyoming
Coe's ownership of a ranch near Cody, Wyoming led him to direct much of his giving to this Rocky Mountain state.At the University of Wyoming, the William Robertson Coe Library, History building, and program in American Studies represent a substantial contribution of private funds to public higher education. The building was completed in 1958 and dedicated to the promotion of American ideals and free enterprise according to his wishes. A bust of William R. Coe occupies the foyer of the history building at the University of Wyoming.
In 2010, the University of Wyoming reopened the William Robertson Coe Library after two years of renovations. Several of Coe's descendants attended the reopening.
Donations from William R. Coe also helped build the Coe Medical Center, now West Park Hospital, in Cody, Wyoming.
William Robertson Coe (June 8, 1869 – March 15, 1955) was an insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
, railroad and business executive, as well as a collector of Americana and an important 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...
for the academic discipline of American Studies
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
.
Early life
William Coe was born in KingswinfordKingswinford
Kingswinford is a suburban area in the West Midlands.Historically within Staffordshire, the area is mentioned in the Domesday Book its name relates to a ford for the King's swine - Latin Swinford Regis. The current significance is probably in tourism, education and housing...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His father, Frederick Augustus Coe
Frederick Augustus Coe
Frederick Augustus Coe was a cashier in a local iron works in Kingswinford, Staffordshire, England, though later became an iron works manager. Frederick's wife Margaret Robertson was a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. The family lived in Cardiff, Wales, by 1874...
, was then cashier in a local iron works, but later became manager. His mother, Margaret Robertson, was a native of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Coe received his early schooling at Albion Academy in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. At the start of the 1880s, his family resided in Gloucester, where Coe was confirmed at the local cathedral. In 1883, his parents and their ten children (William was fifth of the ten) emigrated to the United States and settled in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
across the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
from Philadelphia.
Insurance
At the age of 15, William began working as an office boy for a Philadelphia insuranceInsurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
broker. The brokerage was acquired by Johnson and Higgins Insurance Co., and Coe rose to become a manager of the adjusting (claims) department in the New York City office of the maritime insurer. As a young widower following the death of his first wife, during a cruise to England in 1900, he met Mai Rogers, the youngest daughter of industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers
Henry H. Rogers
Henry Huttleston Rogers was a United States capitalist, businessman, industrialist, financier, and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the oil refinery business, becoming a leader at Standard Oil....
, a key man in Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
.
RMS Titanic
This marriage brought connections with Standard Oil that expanded Johnson and Higgins' business immensely, while it opened personal business opportunities for Coe. By 1910, Coe had become president of Johnson and Higgins and was involved in insuring the "unsinkable" hull of the RMS Titanic, which sank on its maiden voyage in 1912. Notwithstanding his involvement with the Titanic disaster, Coe rose to chairman of the board of Johnson and Higgins by 1916.Virginian Railway
Coe was on the Board of Directors of the Virginian RailwayVirginian Railway
The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads....
from 1910 until his death in 1955, and headed the company for a brief period during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was also a director of Loup Creek Colliery and the Wyoming Land Company. One of his sons, William Rogers Coe
William Rogers Coe
William "Bill" Rogers Coe was the first son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe. He followed his father into the railway business.Educated at St...
, led the financial management of the Virginian Railway for many years as vice-president and treasurer, with offices in New York City.
Family
Coe's first marriage was to Jane Hutchinson Falligant in 1893, the daughter of Judge Robert Falligant of Savannah, Georgia. She died approximately five years later without having children.On June 4, 1900, Coe married Mai Rogers, the youngest daughter of industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers and Abbie Gifford Rogers
Abbie G. Rogers
Abbie Gifford Rogers , was the first wife of Henry Huttleston Rogers, , a United States capitalist, businesswoman, industrialist, financier, and philanthropist....
. The Coes had four children: William Rogers Coe
William Rogers Coe
William "Bill" Rogers Coe was the first son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe. He followed his father into the railway business.Educated at St...
(1901–1971), Robert Douglas Coe
Robert Douglas Coe
Robert Douglas Coe was a career diplomat and the U.S. ambassador to Denmark from 1953 to 1957.-Biography:He was the second son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe. He attended St. Paul's School; later he received an A.B. in fine arts from Harvard University, and completed an M.A...
(1902–1985), Henry Huttleston Rogers Coe
Henry Huttleston Rogers Coe
Henry Huttleston Rogers Coe or Hank as he was known to his wife and friends, was the third and youngest son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe....
(1907–1966), and Natalie Mai Coe
Natalie Mai Vitetti
Natalie Mai Coe, Countess Vitetti was the only daughter of insurance and railroad executive William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Coe....
(1910–1987).
In December 1926, after the death of Mai Rogers Coe, Coe married Caroline Graham Slaughter. She was the former wife of E. Dick Slaughter, a daughter of Alexander Hutchinson Graham and Cornelia Ligon Graham, and a granddaughter of Alabama lieutenant-governor Robert Fulwood Ligon.
Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding
Coe liked horses and was a 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...
horse racing
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...
enthusiast. He built a riding stable on his "Planting Fields" estate and put together a racing stable based at the Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
in Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
. Coe's filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
Black Maria
Black Maria (horse)
Black Maria was an American Thoroughbred racing filly who earned national Champion honors three times. Bred in Kentucky by William R. Coe, she was sired by Black Toney, the great foundation stallion of Idle Hour Stock Farm...
won the Kentucky Oaks
Kentucky Oaks
The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers 1⅛ miles at Churchill Downs; the horses carry 121 pounds . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year...
in 1926, the Metropolitan Handicap
Metropolitan Handicap
The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile," is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile .The Met Mile was first...
in 1927, and the first running of the Whitney Handicap
Whitney Handicap
The Whitney Handicap is an American Grade 1 handicap race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of 1⅛ miles. In 2007, the Breeders' Cup Ltd...
in 1928. Black Maria was voted the U.S. Champion Older Female Horse
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Female Horse
The Eclipse Award for Champion Older Female Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. The Daily Racing Form began naming an annual champion in 1936. Starting in 1950, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations began naming its own champion. The following list provides the name of the horses...
for 1927 and 1928. Among his stables' other notable horses were Cleopatra
Cleopatra (horse)
Cleopatra was an American Champion Thoroughbred filly racehorse. Her sire was the one of Great Britian]]'s top stallions Corcyra, a son of three-time the Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland Polymelus. Her dam was Gallice, a daughter of Gallinule...
, the 1920 U.S. Champion 3-year-old Filly, and Ladysman
Ladysman
Ladysman was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the son of Pompey who won the 1947 Hopeful Stakes as a two-year-old and the prestigious Suburban Handicap as a four year-old but will be best remembered for his runner up performance to Head Play in the second jewel of the Triple Crown in the...
, which won the 1932 Hopeful Stakes
Hopeful Stakes (USA)
The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically has been a showcase for some of the top East Coast horses...
and was the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.
Six of Coe's horses competed 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...
. His best finish came in 1937, when Pompoon
Pompoon
Pompoon was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was voted American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt for 1936.At age two, Pompoon won the Belmont Futurity Stakes and defeated War Admiral to win the National Stallion Stakes...
finished second to War Admiral
War Admiral
War Admiral was an American thoroughbred racehorse, the offspring of the great thoroughbred Man o' War and the mare Brushup. He inherited his father's fiery temperament and talent, but did not resemble him physically...
. Coe established Shoshone Stud, and in 1923, he paid $110,000 for The Finn
The Finn
The Finn was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that is best remembered as the winner of the 1915 Belmont Stakes and as the sire of Zev and Flying Ebony, the respective winners of the 1923 and 1925 Kentucky Derbies. The Finn was foaled in Lexington, Kentucky at Hamburg Place, the stud farm of John...
, a then record price for a sire
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
. The Finn died two years later. Coe's colt Pompey
Pompey (horse)
Pompey was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by William Coe and raced under the colors of his Shoshone Stable. Pompey was a son of Sun Briar who also sired U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Sun Beau. His dam was Sweet Briar, a French daughter of Leopold de Rothschild's St...
won the 1926 Wood Memorial Stakes
Wood Memorial Stakes
The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, New York. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....
and was a successful sire; his offspring include Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
.
American West
Coe was a fan of the American West; in 1910, he purchased Colonel William F. "Buffalo Bill" CodyBuffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
's 492 acres (2 km²) hunting camp, Irma Lake Lodge, in Cody, Wyoming.The family sold it in 1986. For 45 years, he collected Americana
Americana
Americana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects,...
memorabilia, gathering original diaries, manuscripts, letters and photographs depicting the struggles of the pioneer settlers. In 1948, the William Robertson Coe Collection was presented to Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
American Studies Philanthropy
Mr. Coe's interest in Americana and anti-Communist politics led him to establish programs in American Studies at forty colleges and universities, with continuing funding through the Coe Foundation. He endowed professorships at Yale, Stanford, and the University of Wyoming. Coe saw his support of American Studies as a way to counter the ideological threats of communism during the Cold War.Donations in Wyoming
Coe's ownership of a ranch near Cody, Wyoming led him to direct much of his giving to this Rocky Mountain state.At the University of Wyoming, the William Robertson Coe Library, History building, and program in American Studies represent a substantial contribution of private funds to public higher education. The building was completed in 1958 and dedicated to the promotion of American ideals and free enterprise according to his wishes. A bust of William R. Coe occupies the foyer of the history building at the University of Wyoming.
In 2010, the University of Wyoming reopened the William Robertson Coe Library after two years of renovations. Several of Coe's descendants attended the reopening.
Donations from William R. Coe also helped build the Coe Medical Center, now West Park Hospital, in Cody, Wyoming.
William Robertson Coe (June 8, 1869 – March 15, 1955) was an insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
, railroad and business executive, as well as a collector of Americana and an important 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...
for the academic discipline of American Studies
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
.
Early life
William Coe was born in KingswinfordKingswinford
Kingswinford is a suburban area in the West Midlands.Historically within Staffordshire, the area is mentioned in the Domesday Book its name relates to a ford for the King's swine - Latin Swinford Regis. The current significance is probably in tourism, education and housing...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His father, Frederick Augustus Coe
Frederick Augustus Coe
Frederick Augustus Coe was a cashier in a local iron works in Kingswinford, Staffordshire, England, though later became an iron works manager. Frederick's wife Margaret Robertson was a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. The family lived in Cardiff, Wales, by 1874...
, was then cashier in a local iron works, but later became manager. His mother, Margaret Robertson, was a native of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Coe received his early schooling at Albion Academy in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. At the start of the 1880s, his family resided in Gloucester, where Coe was confirmed at the local cathedral. In 1883, his parents and their ten children (William was fifth of the ten) emigrated to the United States and settled in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
across the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
from Philadelphia.
Insurance
At the age of 15, William began working as an office boy for a Philadelphia insuranceInsurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
broker. The brokerage was acquired by Johnson and Higgins Insurance Co., and Coe rose to become a manager of the adjusting (claims) department in the New York City office of the maritime insurer. As a young widower following the death of his first wife, during a cruise to England in 1900, he met Mai Rogers, the youngest daughter of industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers
Henry H. Rogers
Henry Huttleston Rogers was a United States capitalist, businessman, industrialist, financier, and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the oil refinery business, becoming a leader at Standard Oil....
, a key man in Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
.
RMS Titanic
This marriage brought connections with Standard Oil that expanded Johnson and Higgins' business immensely, while it opened personal business opportunities for Coe. By 1910, Coe had become president of Johnson and Higgins and was involved in insuring the "unsinkable" hull of the RMS Titanic, which sank on its maiden voyage in 1912. Notwithstanding his involvement with the Titanic disaster, Coe rose to chairman of the board of Johnson and Higgins by 1916.Virginian Railway
Coe was on the Board of Directors of the Virginian RailwayVirginian Railway
The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads....
from 1910 until his death in 1955, and headed the company for a brief period during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was also a director of Loup Creek Colliery and the Wyoming Land Company. One of his sons, William Rogers Coe
William Rogers Coe
William "Bill" Rogers Coe was the first son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe. He followed his father into the railway business.Educated at St...
, led the financial management of the Virginian Railway for many years as vice-president and treasurer, with offices in New York City.
Family
Coe's first marriage was to Jane Hutchinson Falligant in 1893, the daughter of Judge Robert Falligant of Savannah, Georgia. She died approximately five years later without having children.On June 4, 1900, Coe married Mai Rogers, the youngest daughter of industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers and Abbie Gifford Rogers
Abbie G. Rogers
Abbie Gifford Rogers , was the first wife of Henry Huttleston Rogers, , a United States capitalist, businesswoman, industrialist, financier, and philanthropist....
. The Coes had four children: William Rogers Coe
William Rogers Coe
William "Bill" Rogers Coe was the first son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe. He followed his father into the railway business.Educated at St...
(1901–1971), Robert Douglas Coe
Robert Douglas Coe
Robert Douglas Coe was a career diplomat and the U.S. ambassador to Denmark from 1953 to 1957.-Biography:He was the second son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe. He attended St. Paul's School; later he received an A.B. in fine arts from Harvard University, and completed an M.A...
(1902–1985), Henry Huttleston Rogers Coe
Henry Huttleston Rogers Coe
Henry Huttleston Rogers Coe or Hank as he was known to his wife and friends, was the third and youngest son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe....
(1907–1966), and Natalie Mai Coe
Natalie Mai Vitetti
Natalie Mai Coe, Countess Vitetti was the only daughter of insurance and railroad executive William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Coe....
(1910–1987).
In December 1926, after the death of Mai Rogers Coe, Coe married Caroline Graham Slaughter. She was the former wife of E. Dick Slaughter, a daughter of Alexander Hutchinson Graham and Cornelia Ligon Graham, and a granddaughter of Alabama lieutenant-governor Robert Fulwood Ligon.
Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding
Coe liked horses and was a 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...
horse racing
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...
enthusiast. He built a riding stable on his "Planting Fields" estate and put together a racing stable based at the Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
in Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
. Coe's filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
Black Maria
Black Maria (horse)
Black Maria was an American Thoroughbred racing filly who earned national Champion honors three times. Bred in Kentucky by William R. Coe, she was sired by Black Toney, the great foundation stallion of Idle Hour Stock Farm...
won the Kentucky Oaks
Kentucky Oaks
The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers 1⅛ miles at Churchill Downs; the horses carry 121 pounds . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year...
in 1926, the Metropolitan Handicap
Metropolitan Handicap
The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile," is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile .The Met Mile was first...
in 1927, and the first running of the Whitney Handicap
Whitney Handicap
The Whitney Handicap is an American Grade 1 handicap race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of 1⅛ miles. In 2007, the Breeders' Cup Ltd...
in 1928. Black Maria was voted the U.S. Champion Older Female Horse
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Female Horse
The Eclipse Award for Champion Older Female Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. The Daily Racing Form began naming an annual champion in 1936. Starting in 1950, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations began naming its own champion. The following list provides the name of the horses...
for 1927 and 1928. Among his stables' other notable horses were Cleopatra
Cleopatra (horse)
Cleopatra was an American Champion Thoroughbred filly racehorse. Her sire was the one of Great Britian]]'s top stallions Corcyra, a son of three-time the Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland Polymelus. Her dam was Gallice, a daughter of Gallinule...
, the 1920 U.S. Champion 3-year-old Filly, and Ladysman
Ladysman
Ladysman was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the son of Pompey who won the 1947 Hopeful Stakes as a two-year-old and the prestigious Suburban Handicap as a four year-old but will be best remembered for his runner up performance to Head Play in the second jewel of the Triple Crown in the...
, which won the 1932 Hopeful Stakes
Hopeful Stakes (USA)
The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically has been a showcase for some of the top East Coast horses...
and was the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.
Six of Coe's horses competed 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...
. His best finish came in 1937, when Pompoon
Pompoon
Pompoon was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was voted American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt for 1936.At age two, Pompoon won the Belmont Futurity Stakes and defeated War Admiral to win the National Stallion Stakes...
finished second to War Admiral
War Admiral
War Admiral was an American thoroughbred racehorse, the offspring of the great thoroughbred Man o' War and the mare Brushup. He inherited his father's fiery temperament and talent, but did not resemble him physically...
. Coe established Shoshone Stud, and in 1923, he paid $110,000 for The Finn
The Finn
The Finn was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that is best remembered as the winner of the 1915 Belmont Stakes and as the sire of Zev and Flying Ebony, the respective winners of the 1923 and 1925 Kentucky Derbies. The Finn was foaled in Lexington, Kentucky at Hamburg Place, the stud farm of John...
, a then record price for a sire
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
. The Finn died two years later. Coe's colt Pompey
Pompey (horse)
Pompey was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by William Coe and raced under the colors of his Shoshone Stable. Pompey was a son of Sun Briar who also sired U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Sun Beau. His dam was Sweet Briar, a French daughter of Leopold de Rothschild's St...
won the 1926 Wood Memorial Stakes
Wood Memorial Stakes
The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, New York. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....
and was a successful sire; his offspring include Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
.
American West
Coe was a fan of the American West; in 1910, he purchased Colonel William F. "Buffalo Bill" CodyBuffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
's 492 acres (2 km²) hunting camp, Irma Lake Lodge, in Cody, Wyoming.The family sold it in 1986. For 45 years, he collected Americana
Americana
Americana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects,...
memorabilia, gathering original diaries, manuscripts, letters and photographs depicting the struggles of the pioneer settlers. In 1948, the William Robertson Coe Collection was presented to Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
American Studies Philanthropy
Mr. Coe's interest in Americana and anti-Communist politics led him to establish programs in American Studies at forty colleges and universities, with continuing funding through the Coe Foundation. He endowed professorships at Yale, Stanford, and the University of Wyoming. Coe saw his support of American Studies as a way to counter the ideological threats of communism during the Cold War.Donations in Wyoming
Coe's ownership of a ranch near Cody, Wyoming led him to direct much of his giving to this Rocky Mountain state.At the University of Wyoming, the William Robertson Coe Library, History building, and program in American Studies represent a substantial contribution of private funds to public higher education. The building was completed in 1958 and dedicated to the promotion of American ideals and free enterprise according to his wishes. A bust of William R. Coe occupies the foyer of the history building at the University of Wyoming.
In 2010, the University of Wyoming reopened the William Robertson Coe Library after two years of renovations. Several of Coe's descendants attended the reopening.
Donations from William R. Coe also helped build the Coe Medical Center, now West Park Hospital, in Cody, Wyoming. http://www.codymedicalfoundation.com/history.htmlThe Remington Studio Collection (Frederick Remington), as well as other works of art, were purchased by the Coe Foundation and are on display at the Whitney Gallery of Art in Cody, Wyoming. The town of Cody also received many benefactions from him, including its first paved streets, and the clock on the town hall.http://www.plantingfields.org/ourstory/Coe/Coe1.cfm
Planting Fields
Planting Fields, the Coes' estateEstate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
in Upper Brookville, New York
Upper Brookville, New York
The Village of Upper Brookville is a village located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 1,698 at the 2010 census.The village is named for the brook that one time ran along its main road, Wolver Hollow...
, was built around 1911 on the famous Gold Coast of Long Island. Coe Hall, the manor house, was designed by the firm of Walker and Gillette and built between 1918 and 1921.
The Coes' interest in rare species of trees and plant collections made the estate a botanical marvel. The 409 acres (1.7 km²) estate was deeded to the State 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...
in 1949. Today, operated by a foundation, Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park is a popular attraction. The historic gates, built in 1712 in Sussex, England (which Coe had imported), have been used as a setting for numerous films.
Death and legacy
When Coe died unexpectedly of an asthmaAsthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
attack at his new home in Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
on March 15, 1955, he was buried at Locust Valley
Locust Valley, New York
Locust Valley is a hamlet located in Nassau County, New York. Locust Valley is an unincorporated area of the Town of Oyster Bay...
on Long Island.
Two years after his death, in 1957, the Virginian Railway
Virginian Railway
The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads....
named its new tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
W. R. Coe in his memory. After the VGN merger with the Norfolk and Western in 1959, it was renamed R.B. Claytor (for the N&W leader, Robert B. Claytor
Robert B. Claytor
Robert Buckner Claytor was an American railroad administrator. He became President of the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1981 and was instrumental in the merger of the Southern Railway and the Norfolk & Western in 1982...
). As of 2003, the tugboat was serving the harbor of Boston as the Karen B. Tibbetts.