Mary Flagler Cary
Encyclopedia
Mary Flagler Cary was heir to part of the Standard Oil
fortune and became a notable philanthropist
, mainly through the charitable trust established at her death. She was the granddaughter of Henry Morrison Flagler
, one of the founders of Standard Oil, and inherited 20,000 shares of Standard Oil from her father Harry Harkness Flagler on his death in 1952 (valued then at $1,600,000). She had married Melbert Cary
, who died in 1941.
Mrs Cary and her husband were significant collectors
. Their main acquisitions were music manuscripts, playing cards, and the work of great printers. Mrs Cary also built a collection of trees on her large estate at Millbrook, New York (now the Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum
).
The Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust was established at her death. It has donated major collections as follows:
The Trust now expects to wind up its remaining work in 2009.
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
fortune and became a notable philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, mainly through the charitable trust established at her death. She was the granddaughter of Henry Morrison Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler was an American tycoon, real estate promoter, railroad developer and partner of John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil. He was a key figure in the development of the eastern coast of Florida along the Atlantic Ocean and was founder of what became the Florida East Coast Railway...
, one of the founders of Standard Oil, and inherited 20,000 shares of Standard Oil from her father Harry Harkness Flagler on his death in 1952 (valued then at $1,600,000). She had married Melbert Cary
Melbert Cary
Melbert Brinckerhoff Cary Jr. was a graphic artist who imported numerous typefaces from Europe. He married Mary Flagler Cary, an heiress of one of the founders of Standard Oil...
, who died in 1941.
Mrs Cary and her husband were significant collectors
Collecting
The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating merchandise, or stamps from all countries of the world...
. Their main acquisitions were music manuscripts, playing cards, and the work of great printers. Mrs Cary also built a collection of trees on her large estate at Millbrook, New York (now the Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum
Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum
The Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum is a nonprofit arboretum located on U.S. Route 44 near Millbrook, New York. It is operated by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, and open to the public without an admission fee....
).
The Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust was established at her death. It has donated major collections as follows:
- The Melbert B. Cary, Jr. Graphic Arts Collection at the Wallace Libraryhttp://wally.rit.edu/, Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester Institute of TechnologyThe Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
, Rochester, New York. - The Mary Flagler Cary Music Collection at the Morgan LibraryMorgan LibraryThe Morgan Library & Museum is a museum and research library in New York City, USA. It was founded to house the private library of J. P. Morgan in 1906, which included, besides the manuscripts and printed books, some of them in rare bindings, his collection of prints and drawings...
, New York City, New York. - The Cary Collection of Playing Cards at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript LibraryBeinecke Rare Book and Manuscript LibraryYale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library was a 1963 gift of the Beinecke family. The building was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft of the firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, and is the largest building in the world reserved exclusively for the preservation of rare books...
, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
The Trust now expects to wind up its remaining work in 2009.