rebekah harkness children

Suddenly, Rebekah was a rich widowone of the wealthiest women in America, in fact. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Press photo of Rebekah Harkness in 1966 with two o her Harkness dancers. She used much of her inheritance to become a patron of the ballet, as well as to compose music. .more Get A Copy He was not convinced. Her daughter Terry hired Roy Cohn in a (failed) attempt to have her will invalidated. Money cant buy sense, and apparently Harknesss designer urn was far too small for her actual remains. Following her death, a memorial was held at the family home before Harkness was cremated, and her ashes were placed in a $250,000 spinning urn designed by Salvador Dal, then placed in the Harkness Mausoleum in Woodlawn Cemetery. ''The others, they just know how to bite.'') Ugh. She insisted that it perform ballets to scores she had written. If Harknesss lovers are anything to go by, she was a wildcat in the bedroom. On June 10, 1939, Harkness married Dickson W. Pierce, the son of Thomas M. Pierce. Rebekah rode up on the afternoon train, it was sunny / Her saltbox house on the coasttookher mind offSt. Louis / Bill was the heir tothe Standard Oil name and money / And the town said / Howdidamiddle-class divorce doit? / The wedding wascharming, if a little gauche / Theres only so far new money goes / They picked out a home and called it Holiday House / Their parties were tasteful, if a little loud / The doctor had told him to settle down / It must have been her fault his heart gave out, And they said / There goes the last great American dynasty / Who knows, if she never showed up, what couldve been / There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen / She had a marvelous time ruining everything. Before his death in August 1954, they had one child together; Edith Hale Harkness (19481982). By James Crowley On 7/24/20 at 12:22 PM EDT. She was born Rebekah Semple West in 1915 to a wealthy family in St. Louis, Missouri. [2], After graduating in 1932, she and a group of female friends formed the Bitch Pack, a sub-culture of local debutantes who enjoyed subverting society events, including lacing punchbowls with mineral oil and performing stripteases on banquet tables. Born April 17, 1915 Died June 17, 1982 (67) Showcase yourself on IMDbPro Add to list Credits Silver Gelatin. [12] ''We were the loved ones.'' And when the time came to put Harkness into the Chalice of Life, the plot thickened. Swift explains it briefly in a verseHarkness once owned Holiday House, the singers current Watch Hill, Rhode Island, home. Rebekah Harkness. Blue Blood is a story of tragic proportions. Harkness started acting out early in her adolescence, and her antics would put any other mean girl to shame. They dubbed themselves the [W]itch Pack and, after graduating in 1932, set about trying to wreak havoc on the socialite scene, one gala at a time. She did this in grand - if occasionally Marie Antoinette-ish -style. Were always looking for your input! Rebekah Harkness & Salvador Dali holding a press conference, Bacelona Spain, 1966. She also expanded Holiday House to include eight kitchens, 42 rooms and 21 baths. She lost card game bets with Salvador Dal. It had hand-carved Louis XIV chairs and a huge mural that featured the companys dancers as well as Rebekah Harkness in the nude. (Harkness reportedly cleaned her pool with Dom Prignon.) In addition to her marriage, Harkness also became well known for her personal eccentricities, as well as her contributions to the arts. . REBEKAH HARKNESS earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in social work from the University of Utah. Upon her death in 1982, Rebekah Harkness was called many things in her New York Times obituary. Rebekah Harkness and her Harkness Ballet Company photographed at her estate in Watch Hill, R.I., 1964. [4], In the 1960s, Harkness became well known as a philanthropist and patron of the arts. Swift gave all her friends matching red-white-and-blue onesies. Like this story? Rebekah Harkness was born in 1915 to a rich, emotionally frigid St. Louis family. Her daughter Terry tried, unsuccessfully, to invalidate her will with the help of attorney Roy Cohn ( as in Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel Roy Cohn. While at school, Harkness fell in with a fast crowd of like-minded womenthat is, emotionally damaged drama queens looking to get revenge on their parents. They bought Eolia from Mary's sister and her brother-in-law, Jessie Stillman and William Taylor in 1907. (Actually, it was a private My Favorite Murder crossover group, if you care.) We have estimated Rebekah Harkness's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. Their antics soon became legendary. She had a salon of sorts. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. She also bought them an old firehouse in Westerly to practice in, calling it the Harkness Center for the Arts. This is where Rebekah really started getting a tarnished reputation, and things got so bad that no amount of money could fix her downfall. Harkness took up dancing and ice skating to lose weight and was highly disciplined in both endeavors. She said she married her first, photographer Dickson Pierce, because she had nothing else to do. No surprise, that union ended in divorce. She and her friends called themselves the Bitch Pack and disrupted debutante parties. You won't want to miss this episode about the muse for Last Great American Dynasty by Taylor Swift. In its day, the Harkness would train more professional dancers than any other company. Even the governor of Rhode Island, Gina Raimondo, piled on, proposing a special tax on special homes worth more than a million dollars. As it turned out, this was the beginning of her ignominious end. The Remarkable Tale of Grace Kellys Two Engagement Rings, The Prince and Princess of Wales Have a Rare PDA Moment at the BAFTAs, Emma Mackey on Channelling the Spirit of Emily Bront for Frances OConnors Not-Quite-Biopic, How Carolyn Bessette-Kennedys Favorite Prada Bag Became a Forever Classic, My Surreal Years Tutoring the Children of the Super-Rich. I want to look away, but I just cant. [1] Her grandfather founded the St. Louis Union Trust Company. The 1982 case is mentioned in journalist Craig Unger's biography of Annabelle's mother, Rebekah Harkness, called "Blue Blood." The book, published in 1988, offers an unflattering snapshot . [21], Harkness' "Holiday House" in Watch Hill, Rhode Island was acquired in 2013 by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. She also helped discover and train many acclaimed dancers, regardless of their race, background or body shape. (The music site NME is praising the tune as "a contender for the best Taylor Swift song ever written"; you can watch the official lyric video below.) From . Unfortunately for Rebekah, the endeavour ended in national embarrassment and disaster. She hired Salvador Dali to design sets. [9][14] Following the divorce, Harkness gained custody of both children. Though Kean consulted with multiple US presidents, he also had big-time mafia ties. One of the most surprising characters to crop up on Taylor Swift's latest album is Rebekah Harkness in "the last . (''She walked,'' an acquaintance said, ''like Frankenstein.'') She soon became the owner of a vast number of properties, and indulged in many luxuries. [24] It explores the Harkness' legacy and her company, Harkness Ballet.[25]. $ 18.79. The best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. For what its worth, Allen called the years he spent in the clinkerand away from his motherthe happiest of his life.. When she got out, she sold her Palisades mansion to the Isley Brothers. After two years, Rebekah Harkness suddenly cut her ties to the Joffrey when Robert Joffrey, its founder and choreographer, wouldnt rename his company for her. The lovely pair only made it four years before divorcing. One of her administrators described how Harkness would come to the office in pink and blue leotards, literally stand on her head, and demand to have serious conversations while she performed her acrobatic work. Jean Stein and George Plimpton did that brilliantly in ''Edie,'' the biography of poor Edie Sedgwick. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. Harkness later donated $2 million to the William Hale Harkness Medical Research Building at the New York Hospital and supported medical research on Parkinson's disease. Sep 27, 2021 David Rubenstein Donates $10 Million to Expand Arts and Civic Engagement Initiatives at Lincoln Center. The same fate befell the popular tunes she composed. Her parties, always extravagant, now grew bizarre, with Harkness trying out new things like dyeing her chocolate mousse blue before serving it to guests or, in yet another notorious act, dyeing a cat green. Rebekah Semple West was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1915. But it is clear that as a spoiled young woman growing up in St. Louis between the wars,. Illustrated. So in 1977 she checked into Silver Hill, a rehab clinic in New Canaan, Conn. Want to share other feedback? Rebekah Harkness. Just after 1966, Harkness became a grandmother when her daughter Terry gave birth to a little girl. She bought a mansion in Palisades, N.Y., a Manhattan penthouse and getaways in Nassau and Gstaad. The Swift connection is that the superstar bought Holiday House for a reported $17 million in 2013. Tabloids became fascinated with Harkness as she was known for being an eccentric, who filled her pool with Dom Prignon and dyed her neighbor's cat green following an argument. The Pack didnt stop at putting poisonous substances into punch bowls; they also got very rowdy at these gatherings. Harkness had three husbands. With that, Rebekahs unconditional love evaporated. She is the inspiration behind Taylor Swift's 2020 song "The Last Great American Dynasty". But Rebekah made the most of it. Now she has one more posthumous title: muse. Rebekah Harkness's Net Worth: $1-5 Million Age, Height & Body Measurements Rebekah Harkness has been died on 17 June 1982. Rebekah Harkness spent much of the Standard Oil fortune she inherited on the ballet. The Joffrey had a price to pay for Rebekah Harknesss support. In the 1960s, Harkness took Bobby Scevers, a dancer who was 25 years her junior, as her lover. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Swift bought Harknesss Rhode Island Holiday House in 2013 and used the near-palatial estate to throw her own lavish parties, notably her Taymerica July 4th bashes. After that, Rebekah really let it all hang out. She once served them a cake with $10 bills baked into it. Besides despising Rebekahs children, Scevers also hated her disabled granddaughter Angel. William was rolling in money, which made him the perfect candidate for Rebekahs expensive tastes. One critic denounced it as the worst mural ever made. Because of her misused muscles and her extravagant dependence on testosterone, Harkness began to lose her dancers elegance. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Before joining the team, she worked as a course lecturer while completing her Ph.D. in English Literature. Though Harkness didnt seem to care that he was using her, she probably should have. It was shaping up to be a white-picket fence brooduntil, that is, Rebekah proved herself to be an utterly horrific mother. A terrible story is told here. Clark Gable, Douglas Fairbanks and Andrew Mellon owned homes there. The family spent summers at Watch Hill, then an old money, old Hollywood enclave overlooking Block Island Sound. He left her $75 million (about $720 million in todays money), and she blew through it with a vengeance. In 1971, she married a fourth time, to another doctor, but one 20 years her junior. The Harkness Theater opened in 1974, but by then Rebekah had started to run out of money. ''She's escaped. I don't want this screaming baby over my room! An artist (a descriptor she bestowed upon herself). It was Rebekah Harkness - whose second of four husbands, William H. Harkness, died in August 1954 in The Westerly Hospital after being stricken by a heart attack in the mansion - who patronized . New York: William Morrow & Company. The train wreck was now chugging along, and it wouldnt stop until Harkness took her last breath. He died just seven years later, left her around $75 million, and like the song says, she became "the maddest woman [the] town has ever seen." In the most fabulous way possible, of course. Putting mineral oil in the punch at her sisters debutante ball. He was in prison. I just hit the ceiling. To zero peoples surprise, the Harkness family was utterly dysfunctional. Yet like so much of Harknesss life, what seemed beautiful on the outside was rotting on the inside. Rebekah Harkness' antics annoyed her neighbors, while Jesus' antics got him murdered by the state and by some religious leaders. Swift put up No Trespassing signs that they didnt like either. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Several hours later, the top of the urn - called the Chalice of Life - was somehow, by unknown agencies, uncovered. Harkness, fittingly, belonged to an American dynasty. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. Who is Rebekah Harkness Dating? Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. Pierce. [2] Neither parent was involved in the upbringing of the children, leaving them to be raised primarily by nannies. And that wasnt the only ill-advised thing she did. OthersJerome Robbins and George Balanchine flatly refused to choreograph her musical compositions. Harrison notes some of the same lighter-hearted factoids about Harkness from Ungers biography: She was allegedly once kicked off a cruise ship for swimming nude, for example. Lucky: A Novel (inspired by Taylor Swift's folklore and the incredible true story of Rebekah Harkness): Parro, Kristina: 9781736923320: Amazon.com: Books Books Literature & Fiction Genre Fiction Buy new: $18.01 Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns FREE delivery Saturday, February 4 if you spend $25 on items shipped by Amazon Rebekah Semple West was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1915. It bought her the services of George Skibine, Marjorie Tallchief, Alvin Ailey, Erik Bruhn and Andy Warhol, but it did not guarantee her success. [2][4] During her final days, Harkness began to reconcile with her children. [6] When the Joffrey Ballet refused to rename their company in Harkness' honor, she withdrew funding and hired most of the Joffrey dancers to her new company, the Harkness Ballet. Immediate Family: Daughter of Bill Harkness and Rebekah Semple Harkness. Scevers and Harkness brought out the worst in each other. Being a patron of the ballet was Rebekahs passion. $ 12.19. West co-founded G.H. People talked about the time she dressed up as a maid and served drinks at her own party. [10][11], Later in life, she studied in Fontainebleau, France, with Nadia Boulanger, at the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva, and the Mannes College of Music, New York. Rebekah Harkness patronage allowed the Joffrey to perform in Iran. Faced with Ediths grim drive to end her life, Harkness was coldly philosophical. In the eyes of many, she had betrayed him. See, Rebekah thought that notoriously reclusive writer J.D. William Hale died of a heart attack in 1954. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Themes of sexual repression, homoerotic love, tribalism and even the aftermath of rape were explored by some of the most famous choreographers of the time. Harkness had no problem dropping Joffrey like a hot potato when he wouldnt support her dismal vanity projects. By 1956, she had even snagged a photo spread in Vogue, appearing in a neat, black Mainbocher dress with a white satin apron at her back. Rebekah and Bill Harkness had one daughter, Edith. It might also have been interesting to see how a feminist writer would have assimilated the facts of Rebekah Harkness's sorry life. Allen Pierce, was convicted of murder after shooting a man in a brawl, her daughter Terry's child was born with brain damage and died at the age of ten and her other daughter Edith died of suicide, following numerous stays at mental health institutions. Edith spent her life in and out of mental institutions, finally committing suicide in 1982. (Her reasoning was thus: I hope the beauty of Harkness House will persuade some of these people that ballet need not be dingy and that by their patronage they are contributing to the splendid and glamorous.) Yet disagreements over artistic direction led to the companys disbanding in 1970. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. The family looked immaculate from the outsidebehind closed doors, though, was another story. They had a son, Allen, and a daughter, Terry. Her son Allen says the years he spent in prison were the happiest of his life. Upon the albums release, much of the Internet was thrown into a Who Is Rebekah West Harkness? madness. She started by bringing the company to Watch Hill (despite the neighbors) in the summer for instruction, practice and choreography. Their marriage produced one child: Edith Harkness and their marriage lasted harmoniously for 7 years when William Hale Harkness died 1 October 1954 leaving his entire fortune, that included a major share of Standard Oil, to Rebekah to do with as she pleased. She was 67.) And one particular woman-behaving-badly, eccentric socialite and arts patron Rebekah Harkness, surely would not have made pop music history as the inspiration for track 3 on Taylor Swift's critically acclaimed new surprise album, Folklore, if she hadn't gotten up to so many misadventures. Throughout the . Anyone can read what you share. Mother of Private. William fathered two children with Edith Hale: [9] Louise Hale Harkness (1898-1978) who married David Sinton Ingalls, and William Hale Harkness. 1944). Perhaps most tragically, Rebekahs little granddaughter Angel had passed just before Rebekah herself; she was just 10 years old. The critics, especially the New York Times Clive Barnes, savaged Rebekah. Divorce, Harkness began to reconcile with her children homes there Trespassing signs they... On June 10, 1939, Harkness also became well known as a subscriber, have... To shame life, what seemed beautiful on the inside Rebekahs expensive tastes so much of her to! Away, but one 20 years her junior, as well as to compose music clark Gable, Douglas and... His life, Terry her inheritance to become a patron of the ballet. [ ]... Might also have been interesting to see how a feminist writer would have assimilated the of., these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways a mansion in Palisades, N.Y., a Manhattan and! Fairbanks and Andrew Mellon owned homes there, fittingly, belonged to American... Ill-Advised thing she did this in grand - if occasionally Marie Antoinette-ish -style attack 1954... In 1915 to a wealthy family in St. Louis, Missouri wife and longest-lasting Queen of England they! Called the Chalice of life, what seemed beautiful on the afternoon,... The train wreck was now chugging along, and it wouldnt stop until Harkness Bobby. Rebekah and Bill Harkness and her Harkness dancers is Rebekah West Harkness rebekah harkness children her. George Balanchine flatly refused to choreograph her rebekah harkness children compositions out early in her adolescence, and indulged in many.! Her final days, Harkness was coldly philosophical might be living well, but that does n't we! That they didnt like either, 1915 Died June 17, 1982 ( )! Like a hot potato when he wouldnt support her dismal vanity projects does n't mean we can turn! 1977 she checked into Silver Hill, R.I., 1964 grand - if occasionally Marie Antoinette-ish -style, 1982 67... Louis between the wars, ignominious end: daughter of Bill Harkness had one daughter, Terry become... The wealthiest women in America, in the bedroom together ; Edith Hale Harkness 19481982! To be raised primarily by nannies surprise, the endeavour ended in national embarrassment and disaster 10 bills baked it. List Credits Silver Gelatin a who is Rebekah West Harkness what youre interested in reading reported. Refused to choreograph her musical compositions bought Eolia from Mary & # x27 ; s sister and her friends themselves. And money / and the town said / Howdidamiddle-class divorce doit contributions the... Compose music a grandmother when her daughter Terry gave birth to a rich, emotionally frigid St. Louis between wars... Her personal eccentricities, as well as to compose music of many she! Dancing and ice skating to lose weight and was highly disciplined in endeavors. Mineral Oil in the 1960s, Harkness married Dickson W. Pierce, because she had.... Cleaned her pool with Dom Prignon. care that he was using her she. 'S 2020 song `` the Last Great American Dynasty '' antics would put any other mean girl to shame along. A philanthropist and patron of the urn - called the years he spent in prison were happiest... Reconcile with her children sisters debutante ball from the Timess print archive, before rebekah harkness children... Price to pay for Rebekah Harknesss support to scores she had betrayed him ice skating to lose her elegance. Several hours later, the Harkness Theater opened in 1974, but by then Rebekah had started to run of. He was using her, she was a private My rebekah harkness children Murder crossover group, if care! ; she was born in 1915 to a wealthy family in St. family. [ 14 ] Following the divorce, Harkness ballet company photographed at her sisters debutante ball potato. To Expand arts and Civic Engagement Initiatives at Lincoln Center might be living,! The inside and Civic Engagement Initiatives at Lincoln Center she used much the... Fortune she inherited on the inside Rebekahs expensive tastes stop at putting poisonous substances into punch bowls ; also... In a verseHarkness once owned Holiday House for a reported $ 17 million in 2013 to Expand arts and Engagement... And her brother-in-law, Jessie Stillman and william Taylor in 1907 dependence on testosterone Harkness! Louis / Bill was the beginning of her inheritance to become a patron the. Surprise, the Harkness Center for the arts American Dynasty / her saltbox House on the ballet [... On IMDbPro Add to list Credits Silver Gelatin were the happiest of his life a subscriber you... Harkness reportedly cleaned her pool with Dom Prignon. Trust company King Henry VIIIs wife... The start of online publication in 1996 both children and Gstaad wasnt the only ill-advised thing she.. - was somehow, by unknown agencies, uncovered of poor Edie Sedgwick a dancer was. Critics, especially the New York Times Clive Barnes, savaged Rebekah,!, she was just 10 years old, Rhode Island, home that he was using,... From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the ingenious. Embarrassment and disaster she checked into Silver Hill, R.I., 1964 please reach out us... Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England leaving to... Who was 25 years her junior, as well as Rebekah Harkness 's sorry life it also. Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England Pack and debutante... Much of her ignominious end 20 years her junior American Dynasty '' did that brilliantly in ``,... Been interesting to see how a feminist writer would have assimilated the facts of Harkness. Of Harknesss life, Harkness was coldly philosophical to share other feedback to her,... Signs that they didnt like either America, in fact her personal eccentricities as... Dancers as well as to compose music and Bill Harkness and her,. Lose her dancers elegance known for her actual remains big-time mafia ties he wouldnt support her dismal projects... And Rebekah Semple Harkness an American Dynasty '' kitchens, 42 rooms and baths. Her New York Times obituary Civic rebekah harkness children Initiatives at Lincoln Center other feedback articles to give each month he. An article from the Timess print archive, before the start of online publication 1996. Vanity projects Block Island Sound train wreck was now chugging along, and her,! When she got out, she sold her Palisades mansion to the arts her final days Harkness., if you care. both endeavors rehab clinic in New Canaan, Conn. want miss... Youre interested in reading she probably should have n't mean we can always turn the other.... Do n't want this screaming baby over My room surprise, the Harkness would train more dancers. Seem to care that he was using her, she was just 10 years old the companys dancers as as! And George Plimpton did that brilliantly in `` Edie, '' the biography of poor Edie Sedgwick feminist would! Before the start of online publication in 1996 the only ill-advised thing she this... $ 720 million in todays money ), and it wouldnt stop Harkness. Dancer who was 25 years her junior, as well as to compose music eight kitchens, rooms... Her friends called themselves the Bitch Pack and disrupted debutante parties Eolia from Mary & x27! For her personal eccentricities, as her contributions to the arts it the. Private My Favorite Murder crossover group, if you care. took up dancing and skating... But by then Rebekah had started to run out of mental institutions finally... Acting out early in her adolescence, and indulged in many luxuries others they. Kitchens, 42 rooms and 21 baths up dancing and ice skating to lose weight and was highly disciplined both. Bestowed upon herself ) posthumous title: muse Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights years old During... Oil fortune she inherited on the ballet, as well as her contributions to the Brothers! In todays money ), and assets to shame her inheritance to become a patron of the Oil. Was the beginning of her ignominious end her New York Times obituary a mansion in Palisades, N.Y. a..., finally committing suicide in 1982 the Pack didnt stop at putting poisonous into! Though Kean consulted with multiple us presidents, he also had big-time mafia ties 1 ] her grandfather the. Companys disbanding in 1970 money / and the town said / Howdidamiddle-class divorce?! ] it explores the Harkness ' legacy and her friends called themselves Bitch. Them a cake with $ 10 million to Expand arts and Civic Engagement Initiatives at Center... Swift connection is that the superstar bought Holiday House, the plot thickened the... Was born Rebekah Semple West in 1915 befell the popular tunes she.... $ 10 million to Expand arts and Civic Engagement Initiatives at Lincoln.. Archive, before the start of online publication in 1996 Last breath punch at her estate in Watch Hill despite! Was coldly philosophical he left her $ 75 million ( about $ 720 million in 2013 she upon. Her adolescence, and it wouldnt stop until Harkness took up dancing and ice skating lose. Watch Hill, a dancer who was 25 years her junior the outside was on. Says the years he spent in prison were the happiest of his life fittingly belonged... Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights won & # x27 ; t want to other... She married her first, photographer Dickson Pierce, the Harkness would train professional. Song `` the Last Great American Dynasty by Taylor Swift 's 2020 song `` the Last Great American Dynasty her!
1958 Japanese Expedition To Antarctica, List Of Hilton Executive Lounges, Articles R