Robert Joseph Collier
Encyclopedia
Robert Joseph Collier was the son of Peter Fenelon Collier
, and a principal in the publishing company "P.F. Collier & Son". Upon his father's death, he became head of P.F. Collier & Son Company, and for a time was editor of Collier's Weekly
. He was president of the Aero Club of America
.
on June 17, 1876 to Peter Fenelon Collier
.
He attended Georgetown University
and graduated in 1894, winning the Merrick Medal from the Philodemic Society
that same year. He then spent two years at Harvard University
and Oxford University.
He married Sara Steward Van Alen (1881-1963), the daughter of James John Van Alen
, and the granddaughter of William Backhouse Astor, Jr.
. They married on 26 July 1902 in Newport, Rhode Island
. They had no children. Prior to his marriage he dated the showgirl Evelyn Nesbit
, amongst others.
Collier, a friend of Orville Wright and a director of the Wright Company
, purchased a Wright Model B
aircraft in 1911 and loaned it to the United States Army
, which assigned it to Lieutenant Benjamin Foulois
. Foulois and civilian Wright Company pilot Phil Parmalee used this aircraft to fly along the Rio Grande
border of Mexico
and the United States in one of the first scouting duties by the U.S. Army using an airplane. Foulois and Parmalee later crashed the airplane into the Rio Grande but escaped from drowning.
In 1911 he commissioned the Collier Trophy
devoted to achievements in aviation
.
In 1914 he developed uremic poisoning from kidney failure at his summer home in Raquette Lake, New York
.
He died of a heart attack at his dinner table, on November 9, 1918 the day after arriving home from France. His estate was valued at just $2,194.
and Francis Patrick Garvan. His wife donated their home in Wickatunk, New Jersey
to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd who made it a home for troubled young women. This was later opened up to children of all ages and what has become known as Collier High School is still open today.
Peter Fenelon Collier
Peter Fenelon Collier was the founder of the publishing company P.F. Collier & Son, and in 1888 founded Collier's Weekly. P.F...
, and a principal in the publishing company "P.F. Collier & Son". Upon his father's death, he became head of P.F. Collier & Son Company, and for a time was editor of Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
. He was president of the Aero Club of America
Aero Club of America
The Aero Club of America was a social club formed in 1905 by Charles Glidden and others to promote aviation in America. It was the parent organization of numerous state chapters, the first being the Aero Club of New England. It thrived until 1923, when it transformed into the National Aeronautic...
.
Biography
He was born in New York CityNew 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...
on June 17, 1876 to Peter Fenelon Collier
Peter Fenelon Collier
Peter Fenelon Collier was the founder of the publishing company P.F. Collier & Son, and in 1888 founded Collier's Weekly. P.F...
.
He attended Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
and graduated in 1894, winning the Merrick Medal from the Philodemic Society
Philodemic Society
The Philodemic Society is a student debating organization at Georgetown University. It was founded in 1830 by Father James Ryder, S.J., in whose honor an award is given every Spring at the Merrick Debate. The Philodemic is among the oldest such societies in the United States and is the oldest...
that same year. He then spent two years at 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...
and Oxford University.
He married Sara Steward Van Alen (1881-1963), the daughter of James John Van Alen
James John Van Alen
James John Van Alen was a sportsman and politician. He was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Italy on October 20, 1893, but declined the appointment.-Biography:...
, and the granddaughter of William Backhouse Astor, Jr.
William Backhouse Astor, Jr.
William Backhouse Astor, Jr. was a businessman and a member of the prominent Astor family.He was the ancestor of the U.S. branch of the Astor family, which came to an end in the male line at the end of the 20th century....
. They married on 26 July 1902 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...
. They had no children. Prior to his marriage he dated the showgirl Evelyn Nesbit
Evelyn Nesbit
Evelyn Nesbit was an American artists' model and chorus girl, noted for her entanglement in the murder of her ex-lover, architect Stanford White, by her first husband, Harry Kendall Thaw.-Early life:...
, amongst others.
Collier, a friend of Orville Wright and a director of the Wright Company
Wright Company
The Wright Company was the commercial aviation business venture of the Wright Brothers, established by them in 1909 in conjunction with several prominent industrialists from New York and Detroit with the intention of capitalizing on their invention of the practical airplane. It maintained a...
, purchased a Wright Model B
Wright Model B
|-See also:-References:* * * * * * -External links:* *...
aircraft in 1911 and loaned it to 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...
, which assigned it to Lieutenant Benjamin Foulois
Benjamin Foulois
Benjamin Delahauf Foulois , was a United States Army general who learned to fly the first military planes purchased from the Wright Brothers. He became the first military aviator as an airship pilot, and achieved numerous other military aviation "firsts"...
. Foulois and civilian Wright Company pilot Phil Parmalee used this aircraft to fly along the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
border of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the United States in one of the first scouting duties by the U.S. Army using an airplane. Foulois and Parmalee later crashed the airplane into the Rio Grande but escaped from drowning.
In 1911 he commissioned the Collier Trophy
Collier Trophy
The Collier Trophy is an annual aviation award administered by the U.S. National Aeronautics Association , presented to those who have made "the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space...
devoted to achievements in aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
.
In 1914 he developed uremic poisoning from kidney failure at his summer home in Raquette Lake, New York
Raquette Lake, New York
Raquette Lake is a hamlet in the Town of Long Lake in Hamilton County, New York, United States.The community is located on New York State Route 28 by the west town line. Raquette Lake is located on the west side of the lake, Raquette Lake....
.
He died of a heart attack at his dinner table, on November 9, 1918 the day after arriving home from France. His estate was valued at just $2,194.
Legacy
In his will he left control of the magazine to three friends, Samuel Orace Dunn, Harry Payne WhitneyHarry Payne Whitney
Harry Payne Whitney was an American businessman, thoroughbred horsebreeder, and member of the prominent Whitney family.- Early years :...
and Francis Patrick Garvan. His wife donated their home in Wickatunk, New Jersey
Wickatunk, New Jersey
Wickatunk is an unincorporated area within Marlboro, New Jersey. The name "Wickatunk" derives from an Indian term variously translated as "house place," "tidal stream," "end of cove or creek" and "willow". The major state road passing through the center of Wickatunk is Route 79. County Routes 3...
to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd who made it a home for troubled young women. This was later opened up to children of all ages and what has become known as Collier High School is still open today.