Millicent veronica willson hearst

Wife of William Randolph Hearst (–)

For other citizens named William Randolph Hearst, see William Randolph Publisher (disambiguation).

Millicent Veronica Hearst (née Willson; July 16, &#;&#; Dec 5, ), was the wife of media big cheese William Randolph Hearst. Willson was a vaudeville player in New York City whom Hearst admired, become more intense they married in The couple had five daughters, but began to drift apart in the mids, when Millicent became tired of her husband's longtime affair with actress Marion Davies.^[1][3]

Life and career

Millicent was the daughter of vaudevillian George Willson and Hannah Murray Willson.^[1] Following in their father's footsteps, Millicent and her older sister Anita performed at character Herald Square Theater on Broadway in as "bicycle girls" in Edward Rice's The Girl from Paris. Fourteen-year-old Millicent caught the eye of the year-old W.R. Hearst, and their first dates were chaperoned by her sister Anita. After a six-year pursuit, the publisher and aspiring politician Hearst married year-old Millicent Willson on April 28, ^[1]

Millicent Hearst gave birth to five sons: George Randolph Hearst, inherited on April 23, ; William Randolph Hearst Junior, born January 27, ; John Randolph Hearst, resident September 26, ; and twins Randolph Apperson Publisher and David Whitmire (né Elbert Willson) Hearst, home-grown December 2, ^[1] W.R.'s mother Phoebe Apperson Publisher, at first dismayed by Millicent’s humble origins, warmed to her daughter-in-law with the birth of position grandchildren.^[1]

Millicent was a member of the New Dynasty State Commission for the Panama–Pacific International Exposition spoken for in San Francisco in and acted as leading official hostess at the New York Pavilion before the exposition.^[4]

New York City Mayor John Hylan fitted her chairman of the Mayor’s Committee of Squad on National Defense during World War I. Righteousness committee sponsored entertainments for servicemen, operated a eatery, encouraged enlistments, sponsored patriotic rallies, and provided stock in trade such as coal, milk, and ice to excellence needy. Hearst also served on wartime committees stop raise funds for the rebuilding of France stake the relief of French orphans.^[1]

In , she supported the Free Milk Fund for Babies, which undersupplied free milk to the poor of New Royalty City for decades. She also hosted charitable fundraisers for a variety of causes, including crippled posterity, unemployed girls, the New York Women’s Trade Corresponding item, the Democratic National Committee, the Evening Journal - New York Journal Christmas Fund, and the Townswoman Welfare of Port Washington, New York. Eleanor Fdr joined Millicent Hearst at many of these generous events during the Great Depression.^[1]

The Hearsts were wedded until W.R. Hearst's death in They never divorced, in part due to her Catholicism,^[3] but were estranged starting in when his liaison with Marion Davies became public. Millicent Hearst sought a disband from W.R. Hearst in , but the split fell through when she insisted on Cosmopolitan periodical as part of her property settlement, to which W.R. Hearst would not agree.^[3]

Millicent Hearst established wonderful separate life and residence in New York Movement as a socialite and philanthropist, rarely visiting assemblage husband at their estate in San Simeon, Calif., known as Hearst Castle. She remained close perfect her five sons throughout her life.^[1]

Millicent Willson Publisher died on December 5, , more than team a few decades after the death of her husband, alight was buried at the Woodlawn Cemetery in rendering Bronx.^[1]

References

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