| George D. Widener, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 11, 1889 New York City, New York United States |
| Died | December 8, 1971 (aged 82) Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Residence | Erdenheim Farm, Whitemarsh Township |
| Occupation | Businessman, philanthropist, racehorse owner/breeder |
| Religious beliefs | Episcopalian |
| Spouse(s) | Jessie Sloane (1883-1968) (m. 1917–1968) |
| Children | Diana Dodge (stepdaughter) |
| Parents | George Dunton Widener & Eleanor Elkins |
| Honors | |
|---|---|
| U. S. Racing Hall of Fame Exemplar of Racing | |
| George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals | |
George Dunton Widener, Jr. (March 11, 1889 - December 8, 1971) was an American businessman and Thoroughbred racehorse owner; one of the only five people ever designated "Exemplars of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Biography
Born into the prominent and wealthy Widener family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his grandfather was the Philadelphia traction magnate Peter A. B. Widener (1834-1915). George Jr. was the son of Eleanor Elkins and her husband George Dunton Widener, and brother to Harry Elkins Widener (1885-1912) and Eleanor Widener (1891-1953, married Fitz Eugene Dixon 1912). At age twenty-three, he lost both his father and brother when the RMS Titanic sank in the Atlantic on her maiden voyage on April 15, 1912.
Greatly influenced by his uncle Joseph E. Widener, head of New York's Belmont Park and builder of Miami, Florida's Hialeah Park racetrack, George D. Widener, Jr. became involved in Thoroughbred horse racing. He owned Old Kenney Farm (now Green Gates Farm) in Lexington, Kentucky.
In 1917 George Widener married divorcee Jessie Sloane Dodge, daughter of Henry T. Sloane and Jessie Robbins of New York City, former wife of Willam Earl Dodge, and mother of Diana Dodge. [1]
From 1960 to 1968 George Widener served as president of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
George D. Widener Jr. died in 1971 at his Erdenheim Farm Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. He left the farm and his personal fortune to his nephew, Fitz Eugene Dixon, Jr. The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the New Bolton Center is named in his honor.
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