| Gladys Mills Phipps | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1883 Staatsburg, New York |
| Died | October 19, 1970 Westbury, New York |
| Residence | Westbury, New York, Palm Beach, Florida |
| Occupation | Racehorse owner/breeder |
| Known for | "First Lady of The Turf" |
| Spouse | Henry Carnegie Phipps |
| Children | Ogden, Barbara, Audrey, Sonia |
| Parents | Ogden Mills & Ruth T. Livingston |
| Relatives | Siblings: Beatrice (twin), Ogden L. |
Gladys Livingston Mills Phipps (1883-1970) was an United States socialite, sportsperson, and a thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder who began the Phipps family dynasty in American horse racing. She was known as the "first lady of the turf".[1]
Born in New York, she was the daughter of Ruth Livingston and Ogden Mills (son of Darius Ogden Mills) and the sister of her twin, Beatrice, Countess Granard, and of Ogden Livingston Mills who served as the United States Secretary of the Treasury. In 1907 Gladys Mills married Henry Carnegie Phipps (1879-1953), son of the wealthy Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania businessman, Henry Phipps.
This sportswoman was an avid ice skater and an excellent golfer; she won a number of tournaments, including a match play championship at the Newport, Rhode Island gold course in which she beat her male counterparts.[2][3] She was, however, first and foremost a lover of horses. Her father had owned racing stables in the United States and in France. Her twin, Beatrice, would inherit the French stable and become a leading owner in that country. Gladys Phipps became involved in the sport of Thoroughbred racing in 1926, when she and her brother Ogden L. Mills established the highly successful Wheatley Stable. Her son Ogden (1908-2002) and daughter Barbara (1911-1987) both became involved in Thoroughbred horse racing.
Following her brother's death in 1937, Gladys Mills Phipps inherited her parent's mansion at Staatsburg, New York. In 1938, she gave the house and 192 acres (0.78 km2) to the State of New York.[4]
Gladys Mills Phipps died on October 19, 1970 in Westbury, New York.[1]