George Dunton Widener was a First Class passenger of the Titanic. He died in the sinking with his son Harry, but his wife was saved in lifeboat 4.
Biography[]
George Widener was the son of Peter Arrell Brown 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. Peter Widener was also an extremely wealthy streetcar magnate. George was heir to probably the largest fortune in Philadelphia. His mother was Hannah Josephine Dunton. He was born in Philadelphia on June 16, 1861.
He joined his father's business and eventually took over the running of the Philadelphia Traction Company, overseeing the development of cable and electric streetcar operations. He also served on the board of directors of several important area businesses, including Philadelphia Traction Co., Land Title Bank and Trust Co., Electric Storage Battery Co., and Portland Cement Co. A patron of the arts, Widener was a director of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
In 1883, he married Eleanor Elkins, the daughter of his father's business partner, William Lukens Elkins. Together, they had two sons and a daughter:
- Harry Elkins Widener (1885–1912), who died aboard the Titanic.
- George Dunton Widener Jr. (1889–1971), who married Jessie Sloane Dodge (1883–1968) in 1917.
- Eleanor Widener (1891–1966), who married Fitz Eugene Dixon on June 19, 1912. Eleanor sued Dixon for divorce in 1936
In 1912, Widener, his wife, and their son Harry traveled to Paris, France, with original intentions to find a chef for Widener's new Philadelphia hotel, The Ritz Carlton.
Titanic[]
George, his wife Eleanor Widener, son Harry Elkins Widener and their two servants Edwin Herbert Keeping and Amalie Geiger boarded the RMS Titanic at Cherbourg as first class passengers, holding ticket 113503. George Widener and his wife occupied cabin C-80, while Harry stayed in C-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 decks.
Later that day Captain Smith joined a dinner party given in his honor 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 with his wife Lucile Carter. A little before 9 P.M. the Captain excused himself and headed for the bridge. After the ladies had retired, the men sat in the First Class Smoking Room, talking. They were still there when the ship grazed the iceberg.
Later, George and Harry escorted Eleanor her maid Amalie Giege 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, while the young Jack Thayer had lost sight of his parents in the crowd (he later survived on Collapsible B).
As the ship sank deeper, the Wideners and Mr. Thayer were joined by Charles Duane Williams. All four men died in the disaster.
George’s body, if recovered, was never identified. After Widener and his son's death aboard the Titanic, a memorial service was held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, where stained glass windows were dedicated in their memory.
Descendants[]
He was the maternal grandfather of Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr. (1923–2006). Dixon, who lived in Philadelphia, owned the Philadelphia 76ers and was a part owner of the Eagles, the Phillies and the Flyers.
Residence[]
Widener had commissioned Horace Trumbauer to design and oversee construction of Miramar, a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) French neoclassical-style mansion bordering Bellevue Avenue on Aquidneck Island at Newport, Rhode Island. Intended as a summer home, it was still in the design stage at the time of his death.
Portrayals[]
'Titanic' (1953)[]
George Widener playing card with Richard Sturges, Maude Young and Sandy Comstock
George D. Widener in 1953 Titanic
George D. Widener was portrayed by Guy Standing Jr. His role was uncredited.
'Titanic: The Musical' (1997)[]
Henry Stram played George Widener in the 1997 production of Broadway.
Henry Stram played George Widener in the 1997 production of Broadway.
'Titanic' 2012 Miniseries[]
George D. Widener with his wife in 2012 Miniseries Titanic
George D. Widener with his son, Harry in 2012 Miniseries Titanic
George D. Widener also appear in the 2012 Miniseries Titanic, portrayed by Pėter Kõszegi. This miniseries shows him crushed by the first funnel with John Jacob Astor.
Sources[]
- George Dunton Widener at Wikipedia.
- Mr George Dunton Widener at Encyclopedia Titanica.
- WIDENER, Mr George Dunton at Titanic-Titanic.com.