Joseph E. Widener

Businessperson, Collector

1871 – 1943

90

Who was Joseph E. Widener?

Joseph Early Widener was a wealthy American art collector who was a founding benefactor of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. A major figure in Thoroughbred horse racing, he was head of New York's Belmont Park and builder of Miami, Florida's Hialeah Park racetrack.

Born in Philadelphia, he was the second son of Hannah Josephine Dunton and the extremely wealthy transportation and real estate magnate Peter A. B. Widener. Joseph Widener attended Harvard University, and for a short time studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania.

He married Ella Pancoast with whom he had two children, Peter A. B. Widener II, born in 1895, and Josephine "Fifi" Pancoast Widener, born in 1902.

Joseph Widener raised his family at Lynnewood Hall, his father's 110-room Georgian-style mansion in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Designed by Horace Trumbauer and Jacques Greber, the mansion, along with its extensive and important art collection, was part of the huge fortune he inherited.

We need you!

Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!

Born
Aug 19, 1871
Philadelphia
Also known as
  • Joseph Widener
Parents
Spouses
Religion
  • Episcopal Church
Nationality
  • United States of America
Profession
Education
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • Harvard University
Lived in
  • Philadelphia
Died
Oct 26, 1943
Elkins Park
Resting place
Laurel Hill Cemetery

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

Citation

Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"Joseph E. Widener." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 May 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/joseph_e_widener>.

Powered by CITE.ME Cite.Me

Discuss this Joseph E. Widener biography with the community:

0 Comments

    Browse Biographies.net

    #ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ