James Gordon Bennett Jr.

James Gordon Bennett Jr. (May 10, 1841May 14, 1918) was an American publisher. He was the publisher of the New York Herald, founded by his father, James Gordon Bennett Sr. (1795–1872), who emigrated from Scotland. He was generally known as Gordon Bennett to distinguish him from his father. Among his many sports-related accomplishments he organized both the first polo match and the first tennis match in the United States, and he won the first trans-oceanic yacht race. He sponsored explorers including Henry Morton Stanley's trip to Africa to find David Livingstone, and the ill-fated USS Jeannette attempt on the North Pole.

Bennett's controversial reputation is thought to be the inspiration behind the phrase "Gordon Bennett!", used as an expression of incredulity.

Early life

Bennett was born on May 10, 1841, in New York City to James Gordon Bennett Sr. (1795–1872), the founder, editor and publisher of the New York Herald. He was the only son in the family. He grew up mostly in France, and attended the École polytechnique.

Yachts

right|thumb|255px|The yacht [[Henrietta (ship, 1861)|Henrietta]]

In 1861, Bennett volunteered his newly built schooner yacht, Henrietta, for the U.S. Revenue Marine Service during the Civil War. At the same time, Bennett was commissioned as a third lieutenant in the Revenue Marine Service (equivalent to an ensign in the U.S. Navy) and assigned to the U.S. Marine Revenue schooner Henrietta (the yacht he had loaned to the U.S. Government) beginning in June 1861. She patrolled Long Island until February 1862 when she was sent to Port Royal, South Carolina. On March 3, 1862, Bennett commanded the Henrietta as part of the fleet which captured Fernandina, Florida. Bennett and the Henrietta returned to civilian life in New York in May 1862.

thumb|James Gordon Bennett Jr.

In 1866, on a bet, he won the first trans-oceanic yacht race. The race was between three American yachts, the Vesta (owned by Pierre Lorillard IV), the Fleetwing (owned by George and Frank Osgood) and the Henrietta. Each yachtsman put up $30,000 in the winner-take-all wager. They started off in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, on 11 December 1866 amid high westerly winds and raced to The Needles, the furthest westerly point on the Isle of Wight, famous for its lighthouse. Bennett's Henrietta won with a time of 13 days, 21 hours, 55 minutes.

In April 1867, Bennett purchased the yacht L'Hirondelle for $75,000 from Bradford. In May 1867, Bennett refitted the L'Hirondelle and changed her name to the Dauntless. She was rebuilt and rigged as a schooner. Bennett added 23 feet to her length. Her new dimensions were 121 feet long, 25-foot beam and 299 tons.

He entertained guests aboard his steam-yacht "Namouna". American expatriate artist Julius LeBlanc Stewart painted several works set on the yacht.

On May 11, 1870, the pilot boat James Gordon Bennett, No. 6, was launched from the Lawrence & Foulks shipyard at Williamsburg. At the launch and naming ceremony, Katie Chapman, daughter of Captain Daniel C. Chapman, gave the boat the name James Gordon Bennett.

Bennett presented the cup and prizes at the October 14, 1873, New York Yacht Club, Cape May Challenge Cup regatta, which was a race from Owl's Head Point around to Cape May Lighthouse in New Jersey, and back to Sandy Hook Light.

Scandal

Bennett often scandalized society with his flamboyant and sometimes erratic behavior. In 1877, he left New York for Europe after an incident that ended his engagement to socialite Caroline May. According to various accounts, he arrived late and drunk to a party at the May family mansion, then urinated into a fireplace (some say grand piano) in full view of his hosts.

Bennett's controversial reputation is thought to have inspired, in Britain, the phrase "Gordon Bennett!" as an expression of incredulity.

The Winter Colony at Pau

thumb|right|Master of the Pau Hounds, James Gordon Bennett Jr.The Pau Hunt had been known to be accessible to subscribers with pulmonary diseases, but the difficulty level became exclusionary to less capable riders due to the popularity and frequency of drag hunting plus the hunting of animals that had been captured for release as bagmen. The Count of Bari brought in a private pack of hounds in 1879 and began a competing hunt. The Pau Hunt, claimed Bari had no right to hunt in their territory, but he replied he had no intention to negotiate and would continue the competing hunt during the 1880-1881 season. The Pau Hunt decided to liquidate. At the beginning of the 1880-1881 season, Thomas G. Burgess, the brother of yacht designer Edward Burgess, wrote for the assistance of Bennett, who shortly arrived from Paris. Bennett met first with the mayor followed by the Count of Bari, who gave his hounds to the town hall. On December 2, 1880 with Bennett as Master assisted by Thomas Burgess they formed a private hunt. Bennett purchased 40 hound couples that were delivered in 1881. In 1882, Mayor Nicholas Renault insisted the Pau Hunt be reconstituted to conform with the law, proposing they alternate packs to satisfy the needs of all riding levels. Satisfied, Bennett agreed and gave the new pack to the municipality with Thomas Burgess replacing Bennett as master of the Pau Hounds on 1 November 1882. On 4 April 1881 Bennett launched a mail coach service from the English Club of Pau to Biarritz three times per week driven exclusively by gentlemen coachmen, or "whips", who later formed The Reunion Road Club.

Return to the US

Bennett returned to the United States and organized the first polo match in the United States at Dickel's Riding Academy at 39th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York. He helped found the Westchester Polo Club in 1876, the first polo club in America. He established the Gordon Bennett Cup for international yachting and the Gordon Bennett Cup for automobile races. Bennett is buried at the Cimetière de Passy in Paris.

James Stillman was an intimate friend of James O. Bloss and John William Sterling. After the death of Bennett it was learned by the administrators of his estate that he had appointed Stillman one of the administrators and trustees. Stillman had little or no opportunity to act under the authority of Bennett's will, as he died a few weeks after Bennett's death. Stillman named Sterling one of his executors. Sterling could hardly have begun his duties under Stillman's will when he too died suddenly. The Bennett estate, the Stillman estate and the Sterling estate totaled about $76,000,000. After Sterling's death it was learned that he had appointed his long time intimate companion, Bloss, one of the executors. A few weeks after Sterling's death, Bloss died.

Honors

Asteroid 305 Gordonia is named after him. He also has a street named for him near Chopin Airport in Warsaw, Poland. The Avenue Gordon Bennett in Paris, where the French Open's Stade de Roland Garros is sited is named after his father. thumb|Avenue Gordon Bennett near the Stade Roland Garros in Paris Bennett, British Columbia, now a ghost town, as well as nearby Bennett Lake and Bennett Peak are named for him, as is Bennett Island, discovered during the Jeannette expedition.

Gallery

File:Julius LeBlanc Stewart - On the Yacht„Namouna“, Venice.jpg|On the Yacht "Namouna", Venice, by Stewart. Bennett is center left, in the white suit. Lillie Langtry is the woman seated, right (1890).

File:Stewart yachting.jpg|Yachting on the Mediterranean, by Stewart (1896)

File:James Gordon Bennett Jr. (1904 painting).jpg|Bennett as painted by Julian Story (1904)

Image:CoupeGordonBennet1906.jpg|The 1906 Gordon Bennett Cup in Ballooning (1906)

File:Bennet 5285332007 5a1b05f599 o.jpg|Bennett (c. 1910–1915)

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References

External links

Bennett family history