Tommy Hitchcock
Encyclopedia
Thomas Hitchcock, Jr. (February 11, 1900 - April 19, 1944) was an American
polo
player who was killed in an air crash during World War II
. He was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame
.
, South Carolina
, he learned the sport
from his parents, Louise and Thomas Hitchcock, Sr.
. His father was a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
horse trainer
who had been a 10-goal player who helped found the Meadowbrook Polo Club
on Long Island
, New York
and who captained the American team in the inaugural 1886 International Polo Cup
. Tommy Jr. played in his first tournament at age 13 and was part of the Meadowbrook Polo Club that won the 1916 U.S. national junior championship.
Hitchcock attended St. Paul's School
where he played football, hockey and was a member of the crew team. After being elected president of the Sixth Form, Hitchcock chose to leave school and join the Lafayette Flying Corps
in France
during World War I
. He was shot down and captured by the Germans
but escaped his captors by jumping out of the train
. On foot, he hid in the woods during the daytime then walked more than one hundred miles for eight nights to the safety of Switzerland
.
After the war, Hitchcock returned to study at Harvard University
. Playing polo, he led the U.S. team to victory in the 1921 International Polo Cup
. From 1922 to 1940, Hitchcock carried a 10-goal handicap, which is the highest ranking in polo, from the United States of America
Polo Association. Playing with notable stars such as Pete Bostwick
, Jock Whitney
, and Gerald Balding
, he led four teams to U.S. National Open Championships in 1923, 1927, 1935 and 1936.
Author F. Scott Fitzgerald
loosely modeled two characters in his books on Tommy Hitchcock, Jr.: Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby
(1925) and the Tommy Barban character in Tender Is the Night
(1934).
Hitchcock married Margaret Mellon, daughter of William Larimer Mellon
, in New York City
on 15 December 1928. They had four children: daughters Louise Eustis Hitchcock, Margaret Mellon Hitchcock, and twin
s Thomas Hitchcock III, and William Mellon Hitchcock.
A friend of fellow polo player, Robert Lehman
, in 1937 he become a partner in the Lehman Brothers
Wall Street
investment firm. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40F12FB3C5E177A93C6A9178AD85F438385F9 Serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Air Force in World War II
, Hitchcock was assigned as an assistant air attache to the US Embassy in London, England
. In that capacity, he was instrumental in the development of the P-51 Mustang
fighter plane, particularly in replacing the original Allison engine with the Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin. He was killed in a crash while piloting one such aircraft near Salisbury
, Wiltshire
, England
when he was unable to pull out of a dive while doing tests. His death was reported to his family by fellow St. Paul's alum John G. Winant
, then serving as United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
player who was killed in an air crash during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame
Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame
The Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame is in Lake Worth, Florida.The first inductions were in 1990.-Honorees:*Rodolphe Louis Agassiz *Lester Armour, III*Harold A. Barry*Harold L. Barry*Paul W. Barry*Roy M. Barry*Carlton Beal...
.
Biography
Born in AikenAiken, South Carolina
Aiken is a city in and the county seat of Aiken County, South Carolina, United States. With Augusta, Georgia, it is one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. It is part of the Augusta-Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. Aiken is home to the University of South...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, he learned the sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
from his parents, Louise and Thomas Hitchcock, Sr.
Thomas Hitchcock
-References:...
. His father was a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
horse trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
who had been a 10-goal player who helped found the Meadowbrook Polo Club
Meadowbrook Polo Club
The Meadowbrook Polo Club is the oldest continuously operating polo club in the United States. It was first established in 1881 and was home to the 1994 US Open Polo Championship.-History:...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and who captained the American team in the inaugural 1886 International Polo Cup
International Polo Cup
The International Polo Cup, also called the Newport Cup and the Westchester Cup is a trophy in polo that was created in 1876 and was played for by teams from the United States and Great Britain. The match is the best of three games. In 1886 it was decided to make the polo match a continuing...
. Tommy Jr. played in his first tournament at age 13 and was part of the Meadowbrook Polo Club that won the 1916 U.S. national junior championship.
Hitchcock attended St. Paul's School
St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)
St. Paul's School is a highly selective college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire affiliated with the Episcopal Church. The school is one of only six remaining 100% residential boarding schools in the U.S. The New Hampshire campus currently serves 533 students,...
where he played football, hockey and was a member of the crew team. After being elected president of the Sixth Form, Hitchcock chose to leave school and join the Lafayette Flying Corps
Lafayette Flying Corps
The Lafayette Flying Corps is a name used to describe the American volunteer pilots who flew for the French during World War I. It includes the pilots who flew with the bona fide Lafayette Escadrille squadron. The estimations of number of pilots range from 180 to over 300. The generally accepted...
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...
during World War I
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 shot down and captured by the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
but escaped his captors by jumping out of the train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
. On foot, he hid in the woods during the daytime then walked more than one hundred miles for eight nights to the safety of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
After the war, Hitchcock returned to study 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...
. Playing polo, he led the U.S. team to victory in the 1921 International Polo Cup
International Polo Cup
The International Polo Cup, also called the Newport Cup and the Westchester Cup is a trophy in polo that was created in 1876 and was played for by teams from the United States and Great Britain. The match is the best of three games. In 1886 it was decided to make the polo match a continuing...
. From 1922 to 1940, Hitchcock carried a 10-goal handicap, which is the highest ranking in polo, from the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Polo Association. Playing with notable stars such as Pete Bostwick
Pete Bostwick
George Herbert "Pete" Bostwick was an American court tennis player, a steeplechase jockey and horse trainer, and an eight-goal polo player.-Biography:...
, Jock Whitney
John Hay Whitney
John Hay Whitney , colloquially known as "Jock" Whitney, was U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, publisher of the New York Herald Tribune, and a member of the Whitney family.-Family:...
, and Gerald Balding
Gerald Barnard Balding, Sr.
-Biography:He was born around 1910 and had two brothers that also played polo, Ivor Godfrey Balding and Barney Balding. His sons, Gerald Barnard "Toby" Balding, Jr. and Ian Balding, were both thoroughbred racehorse trainers in Britain....
, he led four teams to U.S. National Open Championships in 1923, 1927, 1935 and 1936.
Author F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
loosely modeled two characters in his books on Tommy Hitchcock, Jr.: Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. First published in1925, it is set on Long Island's North Shore and in New York City from spring to autumn of 1922....
(1925) and the Tommy Barban character in Tender Is the Night
Tender is the Night
Tender Is the Night is a novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was his fourth and final completed novel, and was first published in Scribner's Magazine between January-April, 1934 in four issues...
(1934).
Hitchcock married Margaret Mellon, daughter of William Larimer Mellon
William Larimer Mellon
William Larimer Mellon, Sr. , sometimes referred to as W. L., was a founder of Gulf Oil.-Biography:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 1, 1868 to James Ross Mellon, eldest son of Judge Thomas Mellon, and Rachel Larimer Mellon, daughter of railroad and land baron William Larimer, Jr...
, 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...
on 15 December 1928. They had four children: daughters Louise Eustis Hitchcock, Margaret Mellon Hitchcock, and twin
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
s Thomas Hitchcock III, and William Mellon Hitchcock.
A friend of fellow polo player, Robert Lehman
Robert Lehman
Robert Lehman was an American banker, head of Lehman Brothers for decades and a notable race-horse owner, and important art-collector and philanthropist.-Biography:...
, in 1937 he become a partner in the Lehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was a global financial services firm. Before declaring bankruptcy in 2008, Lehman was the fourth largest investment bank in the USA , doing business in investment banking, equity and fixed-income sales and trading Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (former NYSE ticker...
Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
investment firm. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40F12FB3C5E177A93C6A9178AD85F438385F9 Serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Air Force in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Hitchcock was assigned as an assistant air attache to the US Embassy in London, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In that capacity, he was instrumental in the development of the P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
fighter plane, particularly in replacing the original Allison engine with the Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin. He was killed in a crash while piloting one such aircraft near Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
when he was unable to pull out of a dive while doing tests. His death was reported to his family by fellow St. Paul's alum John G. Winant
John Gilbert Winant
John Gilbert Winant OM was an American politician with the Republican party after a brief career as a teacher in Concord, New Hampshire. Born in New York City, Winant held positions in New Hampshire, national, and international politics...
, then serving as United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
The office of United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom was traditionally, and still is very much so today due to the Special Relationship, the most prestigious position in the United States Foreign Service...
.
Legacy
Following its formation, in 1990 Tommy Hitchcock, Jr. was inducted posthumously into the Museum of Polo and Hall of FameMuseum of Polo and Hall of Fame
The Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame is in Lake Worth, Florida.The first inductions were in 1990.-Honorees:*Rodolphe Louis Agassiz *Lester Armour, III*Harold A. Barry*Harold L. Barry*Paul W. Barry*Roy M. Barry*Carlton Beal...
.
Further reading
- Aldrich Jr., Nelson W.Nelson W. Aldrich Jr.Nelson W. Aldrich Jr. is an American editor and the author of Old Money: The mythology of Wealth in America and George, Being George , the story of author and socialite George Plimpton told via first hand accounts of many who knew him...
Tommy Hitchcock: An American Hero (1985) Fleet Street Publishing Corp. ISBN 0-9611314-2-X
External links
- Tommy Hitchcock, Jr. at FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
- Lt. Col Thomas Hitchcock at Findagrave