William Kissam Vanderbilt II facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Kissam Vanderbilt II
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Vanderbilt photographed by Theodore C. Marceau, 1903
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| Born | October 26, 1878 New York City, US
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| Died | January 8, 1944 (aged 65) New York City, US
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| Burial place | Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum, Staten Island, New York, U.S. |
| Education | St. Mark's School Harvard University |
| Spouse(s) |
Virginia Graham Fair
(m. 1899; div. 1927)Rosamund Lancaster Warburton
(m. 1927) |
| Children | 3, including Muriel Vanderbilt |
| Parent(s) | William Kissam Vanderbilt Alva Erskine Smith |
William Kissam Vanderbilt II (born October 26, 1878 – died January 8, 1944) was a famous American motor racing fan and yachtsman. He was a member of the very well-known Vanderbilt family, who were rich and powerful.
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Who Was William K. Vanderbilt II?
William Kissam Vanderbilt II was born in New York City on October 26, 1878. He was the second child and first son of William Kissam Vanderbilt and Alva Erskine Smith. His family called him Willie K. He had a brother, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, and a sister, Consuelo Vanderbilt.
Willie K. grew up in a world of luxury. His family owned many grand mansions. He often traveled to Europe and sailed around the world on his father's yachts.
Willie K.'s Education
Willie K. was taught by private teachers at home. He also went to St. Mark's School. Later, he attended Harvard University but left after two years.
What Did Willie K. Do for Work?
Even though he was very wealthy, Willie K.'s father made him work. He started at the family's New York Central Railroad offices. These offices were located at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. In 1905, he built his own home, the William K. Vanderbilt House, on Fifth Avenue.
Willie K. was already rich from a special fund set up for him. He also earned money as president of the New York Central Railroad Company. When his father died in 1920, Willie K. inherited a huge amount of money.
On May 9, 1917, Vanderbilt joined the Navy as a lieutenant. He was in charge of the USS Tarantula (SP-124). This was a yacht that Vanderbilt owned and let the Navy use during the war. He helped patrol the waters near New York and New Jersey. He also helped escort groups of ships.
In October 1917, he took a break from the Navy. He went back to his job as vice-president of the New York Central Railroad. A few months later, he became the president of the railroad. He kept this job for the rest of World War I. After the war, he was promoted to lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve. He stayed in the Naval Reserve until 1941.
Willie K.'s Love for Cars and Racing
Willie K. loved horse racing and yachting, but he was most excited about cars. When he was 10, he rode in a steam-powered tricycle in France. At age 20, in 1898, he bought a French motor tricycle. Soon, he had many cars. He loved to drive them fast through towns on Long Island, New York. This often made people and officials angry.
Setting Speed Records
Willie K. was also a skilled sailor. He won the Sir Thomas Lipton Cup in 1900 with his yacht, Virginia. But his love for fast cars grew even stronger. In 1904, he set a new land speed record. He drove his Mercedes at 92.30 mph (148.54 km/h) in Florida.
Starting the Vanderbilt Cup Race
That same year, he started the Vanderbilt Cup. This was the first big car racing trophy in America. It was an international race that encouraged American car makers to compete. Top drivers from Europe came to race for the large cash prize. The race was held in Nassau County on Long Island. Many people came to watch, hoping an American car would win. A French car won the first race. In 1908, George Robertson became the first American to win the Vanderbilt Cup.
Building the Long Island Motor Parkway
The Vanderbilt Cup races often had problems with crowds. In 1906, a spectator was killed. To make the race safer and better, Vanderbilt decided to build a special road. He created a company to build the Long Island Motor Parkway. This was one of the first modern paved parkways in the country. It could be used for races and also help people travel easily on Long Island.
Construction began in 1907. This expensive toll highway was planned to run for 48 miles (77 km). It had many bridges and overpasses. However, the road never made enough money. In 1938, it was given to the county governments.
Creating the Vanderbilt Museum
Willie K.'s new high-speed road helped him get out of Manhattan quickly. In 1910, he started building a much larger estate called "Eagle's Nest". This was in Centerport, Long Island.
He loved collecting things from nature and the ocean. He also collected objects from different cultures. He traveled all over the world on his yacht and by land. He gathered many items for his collection. After serving in the Navy during World War I, he wrote a book about his travels.
By 1922, Vanderbilt built a museum on his Long Island estate. It was a public museum to show his growing collection. He hired an artist named William Belanske to be the full-time curator.
Where Did Willie K. Live?
In 1925, Willie K. traded his luxury yacht for Fisher Island, Florida. He used this island as his winter home. He built a large mansion there with places for his yacht, a seaplane, tennis courts, a pool, and a golf course. This home was called Alva Base.
Besides Fisher Island and his Eagle's Nest estate on Long Island, Vanderbilt owned other properties. He had a farm in Tennessee. He also owned Kedgwick Lodge, a hunting lodge in New Brunswick, Canada.
Willie K.'s Family Life
In 1899, Vanderbilt married Virginia Graham Fair. She was a rich heiress whose father made a fortune in mining. Their honeymoon was at the Idle Hour estate. Sadly, a fire broke out and the mansion burned down.
Willie K. and Virginia had a son and two daughters before they separated.
- Muriel Vanderbilt (1900–1972)
- Consuelo Vanderbilt (1903–2011)
- William Kissam Vanderbilt III (1907–1933)
Their son, William Kissam Vanderbilt III, loved fast cars and travel like his father. He died in a car accident in South Carolina in 1933.
Willie K. and Virginia separated after ten years. They officially divorced in 1927 because he wanted to marry again. He then married Rosamund Lancaster Warburton in Paris on September 5, 1927.
Willie K. Vanderbilt died on January 8, 1944, from a heart problem. He was buried in the Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum on Staten Island, New York.
Willie K.'s Lasting Impact
In 1931, Vanderbilt had a large diesel yacht built in Germany. It was called the Alva. He gave the Alva to the U.S. Navy in 1941. It became a gunboat called the USS Plymouth. The Plymouth was used to escort ships. It was sunk by a German submarine in 1943.
By the 1940s, Vanderbilt planned for his Eagle's Nest property to become a public museum after he died. He also left $2 million to help maintain it. Since 1950, the site has been the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum.
Images for kids
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Vanderbilt and his powerful Mercedes at Daytona (1904). Courtesy Florida Photographic Collection
