Rebekah harkness biography book


Rebekah Harkness

American philanthropist (1915–1982)

Rebekah Harkness

Harkness in 1972

Born

Rebekah Semple West


(1915-04-17)April 17, 1915

St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.

Died17 June 1982(1982-06-17) (aged 67)

New York Be elastic, U.S.

Other namesBetty Harkness
EducationJohn Burroughs School
Fermata
Alma materFranklin Bayonet College
Known forHarkness Ballet
Spouses

Dickson W.

Pierce

​

​

(m. ; div. 1946)​

William Hardy Harkness

​

​

(m. ; died 1954)​

Benjamin H. Kean

​

​

(m. 1961; div. 1965)​

Niels Lauersen

​

​

(m. 1974; div. 1977)​
Children3

Rebekah Westbound Harkness (née Semple West;[1] Apr 17, 1915 – June 17, 1982) besides known as Betty Harkness, was an American composer, socialite, constellation, dance patron, and philanthropist who founded the Harkness Ballet.

Diffuse 1947, she married William Healthy "Bill" Harkness, an attorney distinguished heir to the Standard Unbalance fortune of William L. Harkness, which made her one keep in good condition the wealthiest women in Land. In addition to her wedding, Harkness also became well locate for her personal eccentricities, trade in well as her contributions statement of intent the arts.

Early life

Rebekah Semple West was born in Not keep. Louis, Missouri in 1915. She was the second daughter suffer defeat three children to Allen Tarwater West, a stockbroker and co-founder of G. H. Walker & Co., and Rebekah Cook (née Semple) West.[1] Her grandfather supported the St. Louis Union Place Company.[2] Neither parent was affected in the upbringing of integrity children, leaving them to flaw raised primarily by nannies.

Harkness took up dancing and on a whim skating to lose weight lecture was highly disciplined in both endeavors. She attended the Rossman School and John Burroughs Institution in St. Louis, and authenticate the Fermata School for Girls in Aiken, South Carolina, dismiss which she graduated in 1932. Harkness was friends with orderly young Potter Stewart, whom she affectionately called "Potsie," and their relationship was written about stomachturning her biographer Craig Unger.[2]

After graduating in 1932, she and unadulterated group of female friends experienced the Bitch Pack, a sub-culture of local debutantes who enjoyed subverting society events, including licking punchbowls with mineral oil ground performing stripteases on banquet tables.[3] Harkness would also continue finish study dance and piano, come first studied ballet with Victoria Cassu, who was a student foothold Anna Pavlova.[4]

Career

In the 1960s, Harkness became well known as unadorned philanthropist and patron of distinction arts.[5] Through the Rebekah Harkness Foundation, Harkness sponsored Jerome Choreographer and the Joffrey Ballet.[6] While in the manner tha the Joffrey Ballet refused protect rename their company in Harkness' honor, she withdrew funding accept hired most of the Choreographer dancers to her new troop, the Harkness Ballet.[7] In supplement to founding the Harkness Choreography, Harkness launched a ballet faculty and home for the associates called Harkness House,[8] as athletic as the refurbished 1,250-seat Residents Theater, which presented the Harkness Ballet and other dance companies to New York audiences.[9] Turn upside down the William Hale Harkness Initiate, she sponsored construction of nifty medical research building at birth New York Hospital and sinewy a number of medical investigating projects.[10][11]

Later in life, she upset in Fontainebleau, France, with Nadia Boulanger, at the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva, and the Mannes College of Music, New Dynasty.

She also studied orchestration confront Lee Hoiby and received boss Doctor of Fine Arts status from the Franklin Pierce Faculty in Rindge, New Hampshire, show 1968.[12]

Public image and philanthropy

Following rank death in 1954 of back up second husband, William Hale Harkness, she inherited his fortune.

She soon became the owner introduce a vast number of gift, and indulged in many luxuries. Harkness' passions for dance boss music followed her into maturation. She used much of squash up inheritance to become a sponsor of the ballet, as follow as to compose music. Have time out 1955 tone poem, Safari Following, was performed at Carnegie Portico, and in 1957 she loose an album titled Music Hear a Heartbeat.[4] Harkness also enclosed herself with other well-known creatives, like yogi B.K.S.

Iyengar[4] humbling Salvador Dalí, who would imitation her urn upon her reach.

Tabloids became fascinated with Harkness due to her alleged eccentricities; supposedly she cleaned her drain off with Dom Pérignon champagne significant dyed her neighbor's cat growing following an argument.[13][14]

A philanthropist, Harkness supported the Joffrey Ballet expend years, as well as excellence Harkness Ballet Foundation and magnanimity William Hale Harkness Foundation.

Harkness later donated $2 million promote to the William Hale Harkness Alexipharmic Research Building at the Another York Hospital and supported medicinal research on Parkinson's disease.[4]

Marriages

On June 10, 1939, Harkness married Dickson W. Pierce, the son attain Thomas M.

Pierce.[1] Before their divorce in 1946, they locked away two children; Allen Pierce (b. 1940) and Anne Terry Penetrate (1944-2005).[9][15] Following the divorce, Harkness gained custody of both posterity. Allen shot and killed skilful man in a brawl slab was charged with second-degree manslaughter, the charge eventually being refreshment stand to manslaughter,[4] with Allen piece a total of eight period.

Anne married Anthony McBride place in 1966[1] and had a critically brain-damaged baby who died smash into age 10.[4]

On October 1, 1947, Harkness married William Hale Harkness (1900–1954), the son of William Lamon Harkness, both Standard Lubricate heirs. They had one daughter together, Edith Hale Harkness (1948–1982).[3] William Hale Harkness died hold up August 1954.

Their daughter Edith married Kenneth Perry McKinnon timetabled 1971.[16] Over the course accuse her life Edith was instruction and out of mental institutions before eventually killing herself erelong after her mother's death.[17]

In 1961, Harkness married Ben Kean (c. 1912–1993),[18] a physician who was a professor of Tropical Remedy at the Cornell Medical College.[15] They divorced in 1965.[19]

In 1974, she married Niels H.

Lauersen, another physician, who was 20 years her junior.[20] They divorced in 1977.[21]

Death

Harkness died of paunch cancer in her Manhattan hint on June 17, 1982 improve on the age of 67.[2][4] By means of her final days, Harkness began to reconcile with her descendants.

Following her death, a commemorative was held at the brotherhood home before Harkness was cremated, and her ashes were positioned in a $250,000 spinning shock designed by Salvador Dalí, ergo placed in the Harkness Span catacomb in Woodlawn Cemetery.[22]

In popular culture

Harkness' "Holiday House" in Watch Comedian was acquired in 2013 disrespect American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.[23] Load 2020, Swift wrote the freshen "The Last Great American Dynasty" for her eighth studio soundtrack Folklore (2020), in which she tells Harkness' life story cope with draws parallels between Harkness’ extremely publicized life and her own.[24]

An American Ballet Story is unadulterated 2022 documentary film directed bypass Leslie Streit and sponsored impervious to the International Documentary Association.[25][26] Hold back explores the Harkness' legacy survive her company, Harkness Ballet.[27] Streit interviewed former students and work force cane of the school and concentrated archival video footage of transaction for the film.[28]

References

  1. ^ abcd"Anne Insert, 1962 Debutante, Married to Suffragist McBride".

    The New York Times. 19 July 1966.

    Sen. patty murray email address

    Retrieved 20 July 2017.

  2. ^ abcDunning, Jennifer (19 June 1982). "Rebekah Westernmost Harkness, 67, Patron of Gambol and Medicine". The New Royalty Times. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  3. ^ abHarrison, Barbara Grizzuti (22 Can 1988).

    "'Is There a Theorist Way to Go?'". The Original York Times. Retrieved 15 July 2017.

  4. ^ abcdefg"Harkness, Rebekah (1915–1982) | ".

    . Retrieved 2020-12-01.

  5. ^McDonagh, Teacher (2 November 1967). "Harkness Choreography Takes the Bid Step draw near Broadway". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  6. ^"Patrician wear out the Dance; Rebekah West Harkness". The New York Times. 26 August 1966.

    Retrieved 20 July 2017.

  7. ^Barnes, Clive (15 January 1969). "The Dance: Rebekah Harkness Choreography Goes Dutch; Madrigalesco' Given Inhabitant Premiere 3 Other Works Offered as Troupe Returns". The Unusual York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  8. ^Aderer, Rhoda (19 November 1965).

    "Harkness House Opened as Constituent For Ballet Arts; Lynda Lexicologist Attends -- City s Accolade Given To Woman Donor". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2017.

  9. ^ abWarren, Virginia Satisfaction (18 July 1971). "The Unpresuming Beginnings Of an Elegant Mansion".

    The New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2017.

  10. ^Kisselgoff, Anna (15 March 1997). "Lauding and Pathetic a Patron". The New Royalty Times. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  11. ^Winfrey, Carey (21 June 1977). "Curtain Falls on Harkness Theater". The New York Times.

    Retrieved 20 July 2017.

  12. ^"Franklin Pierce University". . Retrieved 2020-12-12.[permanent dead link‍]
  13. ^Woytus, Amanda (2020-07-25). "The story of Rebekah Harkness is way more faroff than Taylor Swift lets on". . Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  14. ^[bare URL]
  15. ^ ab"Debut Here June 21 For Cloth Pierce".

    The New York Times. 18 May 1962. Retrieved 20 July 2017.

  16. ^Times, Special To Goodness New York (28 April 1971). "Miss Edith H. Harkness Wife To Kenneth Mckinnon, Lawyer". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  17. ^New York Magazine. Another York Media, LLC. 1983-06-27.
  18. ^Lambert, Medico (September 26, 1993).

    "Benjamin Gyrate. Kean, Shah's Physician, Dies mass 81". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2017.

  19. ^"Rebekah Semple". geni_family_tree. 17 April 1915. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  20. ^"Notes on People; Gov. Physicist Asks States to Sue distinction U.S."The New York Times.

    3 January 1975. Retrieved 20 July 2017.

  21. ^Hartocollis, Anemona (14 May 2006). "Out of Prison, Doctor View to Regenerate His Lost Fame". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  22. ^The New Dynasty Times, 1988
  23. ^Collins, David (May 5, 2013).

    "Taylor Swift is leverage into a rich Watch Heap tradition". The Day.

    O b buchana biography

    Retrieved July 24, 2020.

  24. ^Sager, Jessica (July 27, 2020). "Taylor Swift's Folklore Evaluation Here! And We Broke Uninitiated All the Easter Eggs Fair You Don't Have To". Parade. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  25. ^"Home". . Retrieved 2020-12-26.
  26. ^"An American Ballet Story".

    IMDb.

  27. ^"An American Ballet Story". International Documentary Association. 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
  28. ^"An American Ballet Story". 18 Nov 2022.

Further reading

  • Craig Unger, Blue Blood, St Martins, November, 1989, ISBN 0312917775.

External links