Archer Milton Huntington (March 10, 1870 – December 11, 1955) was the son of Arabella (née Duval) Huntington and the stepson of railroad magnate and industrialist Collis P. Huntington.
A lifelong friend of the arts, he is best known for his scholarly works in the field of Hispanic Studies and for founding The Hispanic Society of America in New York City. He was also a major benefactor of the American Academy of Arts and Letters (also in New York). In 1932, he became the founder of the Mariners' Museum, one of the largest maritime museums in the world, in Newport News, Virginia, a new independent city established in the late 19th century largely though the efforts of his stepfather.
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Marriage
Archer Huntington married sculptor Anna Hyatt whose large scale sculptures adorn Audubon Terrace at the Hispanic Society of America in New York City on March 10, 1923. March 10 was both his and his bride's birthday. They then called March 10 "3 in 1 day" and it is still celebrated at Atalaya and Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina.
Hispanic studies
Huntington is best known for his scholarly works in the field of Hispanic Studies and for founding The Hispanic Society of America in New York City. The society, founded in 1904, is a museum and rare books library whose collections of Hispanic materials are unrivaled outside of Spain.
Philanthropy
In 1915, Huntington donated land on which the American Academy of Arts and Letters could construct a permanent New York City home.[1]
In 1932, working with Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company president Homer L. Ferguson, Huntington founded the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia, one of the largest maritime museums in the world. In that same year, he donated land and help to create Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina, a public garden and park in which to display the works of American sculptors. A portion of Brookgreen Gardens is leased to the state and makes up Huntington Beach State Park.
In 1936, Huntington created an endowment which established an annual stipend for a Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, now officially the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. In 2006, this stipend amounted to $40,000 per year, including a $35,000 salary and $5,000 in travel expenses.[2]
Notes
External links
- Archer Milton Huntington papers at Syracuse University Special Collections Research Center]
- American Numismatic Society: Huntington bio notes)
- Hispanic Society: Huntington bio notes
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