Gladys Mills Phipps
| 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(s) | 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 a 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]
Biography
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 their parents' 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]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Racing World Mourns Death". Associated Press. October 20, 1970. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
- ↑ "Miss Gladys Mills Golf Winner". The New York Times. August 15, 1907.
- ↑ "The News Of Newport". The New York Times. August 16, 1900.
- ↑ http://www.hvnet.com/houses/mills/
External links
- Halcyon Days: An American Family Through Three Generations by Peggie Phipps Boegner (daughter of John Shaffer Phipps), Richard Gachot (1987) Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 0-8109-1064-0
- Bowen, Edward L. Legacies of the Turf (Vol. 1) (2003) Eclipse Press ISBN 1-58150-102-1 (See also: )
- Mills Mansion at Staatsburg, New York
- Phipps family racing at Chicago Barn to Wire
- Phipps family at Thoroughbred Times Company, Inc.
- October 20, 1970 New York Times obituary for Gladys Mills Phipps