Ogden L. Mills
Encyclopedia
Ogden Livingston Mills was an American
businessman and politician.
and Ruth T. Livingston, he had twin sisters Beatrice Mills
and Gladys Livingston Mills
. Odgen L. Mills was the grandson of Darius O. Mills, who bequeathed to his son a fortune in excess of $40 million amassed in banking, railroad and mining ventures on the Pacific Coast
, Mills was born in Newport, Rhode Island
. He graduated Harvard University
in 1904 and Harvard Law School
in 1907. He became a lawyer in New York in 1908.
Mills married Margaret Rutherfurd, step daughter of William Kissam Vanderbilt
, in France in 1911. They divorced in May, 1920. She would subsequently marry and divorce Sir Paul Dukes
(1922–1929), Prince Charles Michael Joachim Napoleon Murat (1929–1939), F.L. Sprague in 1939, before remarrying Prince Charles a second time in 1945.
He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention
s in 1912, 1916, and 1920.
He served in the New York Senate from 1914 until 1917, when he resigned to enlist in the United States Army
, and served with the rank of captain until the close of the First World War
.
He was president of the New York State Tax Association and a businessman until he was elected as a Republican to the 67th
, 68th
and 69th United States Congress
es from New York's 17th District, serving from 1921 to 1927. On September 3, 1924, he married his second wife, Mrs. Dorothy Randolph Fell, divorced first wife of the banker John R. Fell.
In 1926, he ran on the Republican ticket for Governor of New York
, but was defeated by the incumbent Democrat Al Smith
.
He was appointed Undersecretary of the Treasury by President
Calvin Coolidge
, serving under Secretary Andrew W. Mellon
. In this capacity he served from 1927 until 1932 when he was appointed Secretary of the Treasury
by Herbert Hoover
following Mellon's resignation to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James. Mills served until March 3, 1933.
After leaving the Treasury Department, Mills was highly critical of Franklin D. Roosevelt
's New Deal
policies. He continued to be active in business, and published his views in two books, What of Tomorrow in 1935 and The Seventeen Million in 1937. The latter was his attempt to provide guidance for those who voted against the New Deal in 1936.
He was a director of some large corporations, like the Lackawanna Steel Company
, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
, Mergenthaler Linotype Company and Shredded Wheat Company.
While in New York, Mills was also an active member of the New York Civitan Club.
Mills died in New York City
and is interred in St. James Churchyard, Hyde Park, New York
.
On October, 16 2011 a short film loosely based on the life of Ogden L. Mills entitled 'Ogden
' was released.
, married Henry Carnegie Phipps
of the prominent Phipps family
of Pittsburgh
. Ogden and Gladys owned Wheatley Stable
, a Thoroughbred
horse racing
and breeding
operation that met with great success and was the foundation of the Phipps racing dynasty. Their stable owned and bred Seabiscuit
as well as Bold Ruler
who became a leading sire in the United States and whose offspring includes the great Secretariat
. Ogden Mills also owned Kantar who won the 1928 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
, the most prestigious Thoroughbred horse race
in France
. Ogden Mills' other sister, Beatrice, married Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard
, whose granddaughter Lady Georgina Forbes has revitalised showjumping in Ireland.
inherited his fathers passion for collecting French antiques and works of art. He died October 11, 1937 at age 53.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman and politician.
Biography
The son of Ogden MillsOgden Mills
Ogden Mills was an American financier and Thoroughbred racehorse owner.-Life and career:Born in Millbrae, California, he was the son of Jane Templeton Cunningham and her husband Darius Ogden Mills, a highly successful banker and investor who in 1910 left Odgen Mills and his sister an estate valued...
and Ruth T. Livingston, he had twin sisters Beatrice Mills
Beatrice Mills Forbes, 8th Countess of Granard
Beatrice Mills, OBE was an American-born heiress. The daughter of the very wealthy Ogden Mills, she was a twin to Gladys, and brother to Ogden. In 1909, she married Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard with whom she had four children...
and Gladys Livingston Mills
Gladys Mills Phipps
Gladys Livingston Mills Phipps was an United States socialite, sportsperson, and a thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder who began the Phipps family dynasty in American horse racing...
. Odgen L. Mills was the grandson of Darius O. Mills, who bequeathed to his son a fortune in excess of $40 million amassed in banking, railroad and mining ventures on the Pacific Coast
Pacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
, Mills was born in 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...
. He graduated Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1904 and Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1907. He became a lawyer in New York in 1908.
Mills married Margaret Rutherfurd, step daughter of William Kissam Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family. He managed railroads and was a horse breeder.-Biography:...
, in France in 1911. They divorced in May, 1920. She would subsequently marry and divorce Sir Paul Dukes
Paul Dukes
Sir Paul Dukes KBE was a British author and MI6 officer.Born in Bridgwater, Somerset, the son of an Anglican clergyman, he was educated at Caterham School in England, and Petrograd Conservatoire in Russia....
(1922–1929), Prince Charles Michael Joachim Napoleon Murat (1929–1939), F.L. Sprague in 1939, before remarrying Prince Charles a second time in 1945.
He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
s in 1912, 1916, and 1920.
He served in the New York Senate from 1914 until 1917, when he resigned to enlist in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and served with the rank of captain until the close of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
He was president of the New York State Tax Association and a businessman until he was elected as a Republican to the 67th
67th United States Congress
The Sixty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1921 to March 4, 1923, during the first two years...
, 68th
68th United States Congress
The Sixty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1923 to March 4, 1925, during the last months of...
and 69th United States Congress
69th United States Congress
The Sixty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1925 to March 4, 1927, during the third and fourth...
es from New York's 17th District, serving from 1921 to 1927. On September 3, 1924, he married his second wife, Mrs. Dorothy Randolph Fell, divorced first wife of the banker John R. Fell.
In 1926, he ran on the Republican ticket for Governor of New York
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
, but was defeated by the incumbent Democrat Al Smith
Al Smith
Alfred Emanuel Smith. , known in private and public life as Al Smith, was an American statesman who was elected the 42nd Governor of New York three times, and was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928...
.
He was appointed Undersecretary of the Treasury by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
, serving under Secretary Andrew W. Mellon
Andrew W. Mellon
Andrew William Mellon was an American banker, industrialist, philanthropist, art collector and Secretary of the Treasury from March 4, 1921 until February 12, 1932.-Early life:...
. In this capacity he served from 1927 until 1932 when he was appointed Secretary of the Treasury
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
by Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
following Mellon's resignation to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James. Mills served until March 3, 1933.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
policies. He continued to be active in business, and published his views in two books, What of Tomorrow in 1935 and The Seventeen Million in 1937. The latter was his attempt to provide guidance for those who voted against the New Deal in 1936.
He was a director of some large corporations, like the Lackawanna Steel Company
Lackawanna Steel Company
The Lackawanna Steel Company was an American steel manufacturing company that existed as an independent company from 1840 to 1922, and as a subsidiary of the Bethlehem Steel company from 1922 to 1983. Founded by the Scranton family, it was once the second-largest steel company in the world ....
, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
, Mergenthaler Linotype Company and Shredded Wheat Company.
While in New York, Mills was also an active member of the New York Civitan Club.
Mills died in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and is interred in St. James Churchyard, Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park is a town located in the northwest part of Dutchess County, New York, United States, just north of the city of Poughkeepsie. The town is most famous for being the hometown of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt....
.
On October, 16 2011 a short film loosely based on the life of Ogden L. Mills entitled 'Ogden
Ogden (film)
Ogden is a short film written and directed by Eric Whiptastic and Mike Wilson. It stars and was scored by Mike Wilson, Directed and Edited by Eric Whiptastic. Ogden, will premier at the 2011 Royal Flush Film Festival.- Plot :...
' was released.
Thoroughbred horse racing
Ogden Mills' sister, Gladys Livingston MillsGladys Mills Phipps
Gladys Livingston Mills Phipps was an United States socialite, sportsperson, and a thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder who began the Phipps family dynasty in American horse racing...
, married Henry Carnegie Phipps
Henry Carnegie Phipps
Henry Carnegie Phipps was a sportsman and financier, and the owner of Wheatley Stables.-References:...
of the prominent Phipps family
Phipps family
The Henry Phipps family of the United States was founded by Henry Phipps, Jr., the son of an English shoemaker who emigrated in the early part of the 19th century to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before settling in Pittsburgh. When a child, Henry Phipps was a friend and neighbor to Andrew Carnegie...
of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. Ogden and Gladys owned Wheatley Stable
Wheatley Stable
Wheatley Stable was the nom de course for the thoroughbred horse racing partnership formed by Gladys Mills Phipps and her brother, Ogden L. Mills. The horses were raised at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky.-History:...
, a Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and breeding
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
operation that met with great success and was the foundation of the Phipps racing dynasty. Their stable owned and bred Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse in the United States. From an inauspicious start, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion and a symbol of hope to many Americans during the Great Depression...
as well as Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse.Bred by the Wheatley Stable of Gladys Mills Phipps, Bold Ruler was foaled on April 6, 1954 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky to Nasrullah and Miss Disco by Discovery...
who became a leading sire in the United States and whose offspring includes the great Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
. Ogden Mills also owned Kantar who won the 1928 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
, the most prestigious Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Ogden Mills' other sister, Beatrice, married Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard
Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard
Bernard Arthur William Patrick Hastings Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard KP, GCVO, PC , known as Viscount Forbes from 1874 to 1889, was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Liberal politician.-Background:...
, whose granddaughter Lady Georgina Forbes has revitalised showjumping in Ireland.
Collections
Both he and his nephew Ogden PhippsOgden Phipps
Ogden Phipps was an American stockbroker, court tennis champion and Hall of Fame member, thoroughbred horse racing executive and owner/breeder, and an art collector and philanthropist...
inherited his fathers passion for collecting French antiques and works of art. He died October 11, 1937 at age 53.