Rash's Surname Index
Notes for George Dunton Sr. WIDENER
When the Titanic sank 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland on the night of April 14, 1912, she took with her more than 1,500 passengers and crew. Among those who perished were the young Philadelphia book collector, Harry Elkins Widener, and his millionaire industrialist father, George. It is said that the young Widener, on the verge of stepping into a lifeboat, raced back to his cabin to retrieve a rare 1598 edition of Bacon's Essays which he had purchased in London. His mother, Eleanor Elkins Widener, survived the disaster and memorialized her son by donating $3.5 million to his alma mater, Harvard University, to establish the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library. In his short life, Harry Elkins Widener amassed a remarkable collection of literary rare books and manuscripts. Today that collection, including the books he purchased on his last trip to Europe and had sent home on another ship, is housed in the famous library endowed in his name.
A case is made by John P. Eaton and Charles A. Haas in their book Titanic-Triumph and Tragedy that the Widener family patriarch, Peter Arrell Brown Widener, was part-owner of the Titanic. The Titanic was the flagship of the White Star Line which was owned by International Mercantile Marine (IMM).
The White Star Line's position within the IMM was quite complicated. White Star was owned by Oceanic Steam Navigation Company. All Oceanic Steam Navigation shares, except six shares individually held, were owned by the International navigation company, which in turn was controlled by Fidelity Trust Company of Philadelphia, a holding company. All the International Navigation company's stock was actually owned by IMM, whose president was J. Bruce Ismay, and among whose officers were five "voting trustees": Ismay, Charles Steele, William J. Pirrie, J.P. Morgan, and P.A.B. Widener.
Among the many myths surrounding the Titanic is that the ship's captain, Edward J. Smith, was drunk when the ship rammed the iceberg. Smith had in fact attended a dinner party a few hours before the crash -- hosted by the Widener family -- where alcohol was undoubtedly served, but there is no evidence that the captain had anything to drink.
Note: Fitz Eugene Dixon, Jr. is the grandson of George and Eleanor Widener, and was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Widener University for many years.
George D. Widener is connected with the Widener-Elkins traction syndicate of Philadelphia. He is one of two sons of P.A.B. Widener. George D. Widener's fortune is estimated at $50,000,000.
Mr George Dunton Widener, 50, from Elkins Park, PA, was the son of P.A.B. Widener, a member of the board of the Fidelity Trust Company of Philadelphia, the bank that controlled IMM, the owners of the White Star Line. He was heir to probably the largest fortune in Philadelphia. However, George Widener was a wealthy man in his own right running a successful street-car firm in Philadelphia.
Mr Widener and family had been staying at the Paris Ritz Hotel and he, his wife Eleanor Widener, son Harry Elkins Widener and their two servants Edwin Keeping and Emily Geiger boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg. The Widener's occupied cabins C-80/82.
On the afternoon of April 14th, Widener and his wife were standing on the promenade deck talking to J. Bruce Ismay when Captain Smith passed them on his way aft. Without comment he handed Ismay one of the ice warnings from the White Star liner Baltic, Ismay simply put the message in his pocket and headed below.
Later that day Captain Smith joined a dinner party given in his honour by the Wideners in the ship's à la carte restaurant. The guests included, John B. Thayer and Mrs. Thayer, Major Archibald Butt, Clarence Moore and William Carter and his wife Lucile Carter. A little before 9pm the Captain excused himself and headed for the bridge. After the ladies had retired the men sat in the smoking room talking. They were still there when the iceberg was struck.
Later, George and Harry escorted Eleanor to lifeboat 4. While the boats continued loading Colonel Archibald Gracie observed George Widener leaning against a railing in deep discussion with John B. Thayer, Mrs. Thayer had also boarded boat #4.
As the ship sank deeper the Wideners and Mr. Thayer were joined by Charles Duane Williams. All four men died in the disaster.
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