Emil Mosbacher
Encyclopedia
Emil "Bus" Mosbacher, Jr. (born 1922, White Plains, New York
; died August 13, 1997, Greenwich, Connecticut
) was a two-time America's Cup
-winning yacht
sman, the founding chairman of Operation Sail
, and Chief of Protocol of the United States
during the administration of President Richard Nixon
.
He was the brother of Robert Mosbacher Sr.
, also a champion yachstman, and U.S. Secretary of Commerce
during the administration of President George Herbert Walker Bush.
"Bus" Mosbacher was the son of Gertrude (née Schwartz) and Emil Mosbacher, Sr., a wealthy stock trader who divested himself of his holdings just before the Wall Street Crash of 1929
and who, as a member of the Knickerbocker Yacht Club
, help formulate specifications for the Interclub class of racing sloops. "Bus" Mosbacher graduated from The Choate School
(now Choate Rosemary Hall) in 1939 and from Dartmouth College
in 1943. During World War II Mosbacher served on a Navy minesweeper in the Pacific. In the 1940s and 1950s he oversaw his family's oil, natural gas and real estate business.
Mosbacher is best known for his yacht racing. In 1962, even before his two America's Cup
victories, he was described by Sports Illustrated
as "the finest helmsman of our time." As a schoolboy sailor he had been Junior Champion of Long Island Sound, and at Dartmouth he led the sailing team to two Intercollegiate Championships. During the 1950s he won eight consecutive Long Island Sound season championships in the International Class, and in 1959 he was Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC) champion. Mosbacher successfully defended the America's Cup in 1962 at Newport, Rhode Island
in the sloop Weatherly, and again in 1967 in the 12-metre class
yacht Intrepid
.
Mosbacher was appointed Chief of Protocol of the United States
shortly before President Nixon's inauguration in 1969 and served until 1972. He was founding chairman of Operation Sail
, which brought hundreds of tall ship
s to New York during the United States Bicentennial
in 1976. He was also an organizer of Operation Sail events in 1986, marking the centennial of the Statue of Liberty
, and 1992, marking the cinquecentennial of Columbus
's voyage. His numerous other offices included Commodore of the New York Yacht Club
, chairman of the Hoover Institution
at Stanford University
, and directorships of Chemical Bank, Chubb
, Abercrombie & Fitch
, and other companies.
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
; died August 13, 1997, Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
) was a two-time America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
-winning yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
sman, the founding chairman of Operation Sail
Operation Sail
Operation Sail refers to a series of sailing events held to celebrate special occasions and features sailing vessels from around the world. Each event is coordinated by Operation Sail, Inc., a non-profit organization established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy and must be approved by the...
, and Chief of Protocol of the United States
Chief of Protocol of the United States
The Chief of Protocol is an officer of the United States Department of State responsible for advising the President of the United States, the vice president, and the secretary of state on matters of national and international diplomatic protocol...
during the administration of President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
.
He was the brother of Robert Mosbacher Sr.
Robert Mosbacher
Robert Adam Mosbacher, Sr. , was an American businessman, accomplished yacht racer, and a Republican politician. In sailing, Sports Illustrated called him "the unquestioned master of fleet racing." In business in 1954, he found a million-dollar field of natural gas in South Texas...
, also a champion yachstman, and U.S. Secretary of Commerce
United States Secretary of Commerce
The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
during the administration of President George Herbert Walker Bush.
"Bus" Mosbacher was the son of Gertrude (née Schwartz) and Emil Mosbacher, Sr., a wealthy stock trader who divested himself of his holdings just before the Wall Street Crash of 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
and who, as a member of the Knickerbocker Yacht Club
Knickerbocker Yacht Club
The Knickerbocker Yacht Club is a yacht club in Port Washington, New York.The club was founded in 1874, on the Harlem River at 130th Street in Manhattan, to encourage “Yachting and the cultivation of Naval Science and Seamanship”....
, help formulate specifications for the Interclub class of racing sloops. "Bus" Mosbacher graduated from The Choate School
Choate Rosemary Hall
Choate Rosemary Hall is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school located in Wallingford, Connecticut...
(now Choate Rosemary Hall) in 1939 and from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1943. During World War II Mosbacher served on a Navy minesweeper in the Pacific. In the 1940s and 1950s he oversaw his family's oil, natural gas and real estate business.
Mosbacher is best known for his yacht racing. In 1962, even before his two America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
victories, he was described by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
as "the finest helmsman of our time." As a schoolboy sailor he had been Junior Champion of Long Island Sound, and at Dartmouth he led the sailing team to two Intercollegiate Championships. During the 1950s he won eight consecutive Long Island Sound season championships in the International Class, and in 1959 he was Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC) champion. Mosbacher successfully defended the America's Cup in 1962 at Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
in the sloop Weatherly, and again in 1967 in the 12-metre class
12-metre class
The 12 Metre Class is a rating class for racing boats designed to the International rule. It enables fair competition between boats that rate in the class whilst retaining the freedom to experiment with the details of their designs. The first 12 Metres were built in 1907. The 12 Metre Class was...
yacht Intrepid
Intrepid (yacht)
The Intrepid is a 12-metre class yacht which won the America's Cup in 1967 and again in 1970.-Design:Intrepid was designed by Olin Stephens, and was built of double-planked mahogany on white oak frames. She featured important innovations both above and below the waterline. The rudder was separated...
.
Mosbacher was appointed Chief of Protocol of the United States
Chief of Protocol of the United States
The Chief of Protocol is an officer of the United States Department of State responsible for advising the President of the United States, the vice president, and the secretary of state on matters of national and international diplomatic protocol...
shortly before President Nixon's inauguration in 1969 and served until 1972. He was founding chairman of Operation Sail
Operation Sail
Operation Sail refers to a series of sailing events held to celebrate special occasions and features sailing vessels from around the world. Each event is coordinated by Operation Sail, Inc., a non-profit organization established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy and must be approved by the...
, which brought hundreds of tall ship
Tall ship
A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall Ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or festival....
s to New York during the United States Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
in 1976. He was also an organizer of Operation Sail events in 1986, marking the centennial of the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
, and 1992, marking the cinquecentennial of Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
's voyage. His numerous other offices included Commodore of the New York Yacht Club
New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ...
, chairman of the Hoover Institution
Hoover Institution
The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace is a public policy think tank and library founded in 1919 by then future U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, an early alumnus of Stanford....
at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, and directorships of Chemical Bank, Chubb
Chubb Corp.
Chubb Corporation is the eleventh largest property and casualty insurer in the United States, with over 120 offices located in 29 countries, and offers commercial, specialty, surety, and personal insurance services...
, Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
, and other companies.