Corinne Alsop Cole
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Corinne Alsop Cole (born Corinne Douglas Robinson July 2, 1886 in Orange, New Jersey - June 23, 1971 in Avon, Connecticut) was the daughter of Douglas Robinson and his wife Corinne Roosevelt and a niece of Theodore Roosevelt.
Corinne Douglas Robinson was the second of four children and the only daughter. She enjoyed a childhood of privilege and grew up on her parents' New Jersey estate. Travel and horseback rides were part of Corinne's childhood. Like her cousin Eleanor Roosevelt, she attended Allenswood Academy in England under the tutelage of Mlle. Marie Souvestre and though she enjoyed Souvestre and the school itself, she found Souvestre abrasive and threatening. Upon her return to the states, she participated in the wedding of Franklin and Eleanor, being a bridesmaid to Eleanor. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Robinson gave a debut party for their only daughter in 1904, which according to The New York Times, "was not a large affair."
Mrs. Cole was the mother of columnists Joseph and Stewart Alsop. She was elected to the Connecticut State Assembly in 1924 and was a leader in the Republican Party of the state. Cole frequently spoke to large crowds and was highly effective and influential due to her stature, position and intelligence. On June 10, 1936, Alsop addressed the 1936 Republican National Convention.
In 1909, Corinne Douglas Robinson was married to Joseph Wright Alsop IV and became the mother of four children, Joseph Wright Alsop V (1910-1989) who became a journalist, Corinne Roosevelt Alsop (1912-1997), Stewart Johonnot Alsop, Sr. (1914-1974) and John deKoven Alsop (1915-2000).
During Franklin Roosevelt's tenure in the White House, Mrs. Alsop was a frequent guest though she disagreed politically she and Eleanor Roosevelt remained close friends throughout their life. Mrs. Alsop's trips to Washington D.C. caused other family tensions. When in D.C., Alsop was often asked by both ER and her other first-cousin Alice Longworth to stay at their home. Mrs. Alsop's decision was usually made based on whom asked her first.
Mrs. Alsop's first husband died in March 1953 and she married a second time to insurance magnate, Francis W. Cole in 1956. This marriage was to last ten years with Mr. Cole dying in 1966 and Mrs. Cole herself in 1971 at 84.
[edit] See Also
- Corinne Roosevelt Robinson, mother
- Theodore Roosevelt, uncle
- Eleanor Roosevelt, cousin
- Joseph Alsop, son
- Stewart Alsop, son
