William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil

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William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil (born 17 August 1928) is the younger son of Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt and operator of the Biltmore Estate through his company, The Biltmore Company. Cecil is a graduate of Harvard University. Upon the passing of his mother, William inherited the Biltmore Estate once his brother, George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil, chose to take charge of the family dairy (known as Biltmore Farms) which was much more profitable at the time. William successfully transformed the Biltmore into a popular North Carolina tourist attraction and built a profitable winery on the grounds. He has a distinct legacy as a direct descendant of both William Henry Vanderbilt and, on his father's side, William Cecil, the chief adviser to Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century. He is a second cousin of Gloria Vanderbilt.

His wife Mary Lee Ryan is a first cousin of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, as their mothers Janet Lee Bouvier and Marion Merritt Lee Ryan were sisters.^[1]