Robert L. Gerry, Jr.
| Robert L Gerry, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 5, 1911 New York, New York |
| Died |
December , 1979 New York, New York |
| Occupation |
Businessman Accomplished polo player |
| Spouse(s) | Martha Leighton Kramer |
| Children | Nancy Gerry, Robert L. Gerry, III |
Robert Livingston Gerry, Jr. (December 5, 1911 – December 1979) was an American polo player.
Biography
Two-time winner of the US Open Polo Championship.
- Won in 1939 playing the #2 position for the Bostwick Field team.
- Won in 1940 playing the #2 position for the Aknusti team.
- Lost in finals of 1941 championship while playing for the Aknusti team.
(From 1923 to 1941 all U.S. Open Polo Championship were played at Meadow Brook on Long Island, New York)
The U.S. Open Polo Championship
The 1939 Bostwick Field team: George H. Bostwick, Robert L. Gerry Jr., Elbridge T. Gerry, Sr., Eric Horace Tyrrell-Martin.
The 1940 U.S. Open Polo Championship final was an especially impressive victory as the Aknusti team beat the Great Neck team which was captained by 10-goal polo player Tommy Hitchcock, Jr.. The final score was a close 5 to 4. Playing for Aknusti that year were Gerald Smith, Robert L. Gerry, Jr., Elbridge Gerry, and Alan Corey, Jr.
The 1941 Aknusti team was composed of Elbridge T. Gerry, Sr., Robert L. Gerry, Jr., Edward H. Gerry, and Pete Bostwick. In the U.S. Open finals they played against Gulf Stream whose riders were Michael Grace Phipps, Ben Phipps, Charles Skiddy von Stade, and Alan L. Corey, Jr.. Gulf Stream beat Aknusti 10-6.
Also, an accomplished Court tennis player. Tuxedo Gold Racquet Singles Champion in 1946. Won the U.S. Amateur Doubles Championship in both 1949 and 1950 playing with Alastair Martin. Was a Charter Member of the United States Court Tennis Association.[1]
Married Martha Leighton Kramer.
Owned until his death was his sprawling 2,000-acre (8.1 km2) estate "Aknusti" (later renamed Broadlands) in the rolling hills of Delaware County, New York. It has acreage in the townships of Andes, Delhi, and Bovina New York. It is an almost contiguous estate with a polo field, multiple working farms, a 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m2). mountain ridge sited colonial manor house designed by Walker & Gillette, numerous dependencies, and landscaping done by Frederick Law Olmsted. That property has since been sold multiple times although it remains intact and owned by Amanresorts.[2]
Family
- Son of Robert L. Gerry, Sr.
- Twin brothers Henry and Edward; and an older brother Elbridge T. Gerry, Sr.
- Nephew of U.S. Senator Peter G. Gerry (father's brother)
- Nephew of Governor W. Averell Harriman (mother's brother)
- Nephew of Mary Harriman who founded the Junior League (mother's sister)
- Nephew of E. Roland Harriman (mother's brother)
- Grandson of railroad baron E.H. Harriman. (Mother was E H Harriman's daughter, Cornelia Harriman, who married Robert L. Gerry, Sr.)
- Great-great grandson of Elbridge Gerry, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
- Surviving children: Robert L. Gerry III
Robert's father, a successful real estate developer, died at Aknusti at the age of 81 on October 31, 1957[3] just a few hours after his brother, former U. S. Senator Peter G. Gerry, died in Providence, Rhode Island. Robert L. Gerry, Jr's mother was a sister to Roland Harriman and to the New York governor, W. Averell Harriman.
Sources
- Genealogy - Gerry family
- Gerry family archive at Hartwick College
- U.S. Open Polo history
- 1939 U.S. Open Polo Championship
- Time Magazine documentation of 1941 loss in U.S. Open finals
- Standardbred Horsemans Memorial
References
- ↑ USCTA Annual Report
- ↑ http://www.allianceforbovina.org/AmanFactSheet_Sept07-afb.pdf
- ↑ http://www.mi-harness.com/SBreds/Memor60.html