Paul Mellon KBE (11 June 1907 – 1 February 1999) was an American philanthropist and Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder who is one of the only four people ever designated "Exemplars of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Old Farts by the Sometimes-United Nations. ... Someone who practices Philanthropy. ... Thoroughbred race horses The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known as a race horse. ... Horse-racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. ... Horse breeding is the process of using selective breeding to produce additional individuals of a given phenotype, that is, continuing a breed. ... 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. ...

Paul Mellon's autobiography, Reflections in a Silver Spoon ISBN 0-688-09723-5, was published in 1992. He died at his home in Upperville, Virginia on February 1, 1999. He was survived by his wife "Bunny" and his children, Catherine Conover (first wife of John Warner) and Timothy Mellon. Upperville is located in Fauquier County, Virginia, in the Washington DC metro area. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Old Farts by the Sometimes-United Nations. ... John William Warner (born February 18, 1927) is an American statesman and politician, who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1972-1974 and has served as a Republican senator from Virginia since 1979. ...

Childhood and Education

Paul Mellon was the son of Andrew W. Mellon, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932; and brother of Ailsa Mellon-Bruce. He attended Choate, now Choate Rosemary Hall, and graduated from Yale University, where he became a member of the prestigious Yale secret society Scroll and Key and served as vice-chairman of the Yale Daily News. He was always loyal to his alma mater, donating two residential colleges and the Yale Center for British Art. After graduating from Yale he went to England to study at Cambridge University (Clare College), receiving a BA in 1931. Mellon at his Desk, 1929. ... John W. Snow, the current Secretary of the Treasury. ... Ailsa Mellon Bruce (1901 - August 25, 1969), born in Pittsburgh, the daughter of the banker and diplomat Andrew W. Mellon. ... Choate Rosemary Hall is a prep school in Wallingford, Connecticut. ... Choate Rosemary Hall Choate Rosemary Hall is a private school for boarding and day students. ... Yale redirects here. ... The Scroll and Key Society is a secret society that was established by John Addison Porter and others at Yale University in 1842. ... A front page of the Yale Daily News. ... The Yale Center for British Art is an art museum associated with Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut in the United States. ... The University of Cambridge, located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... Full name Clare College Motto - Named after Elizabeth de Clare Previous names University Hall (1326), Clare Hall (1338), Clare College (1856) Established 1326 Sister College(s) Oriel College St Hughs College Master Prof. ...

Marriage and Military Service

He then returned to the United States, to work for Mellon Bank and other businesses. In 1935, he married Mary Conover Brown and the couple moved to Virginia. In 1938, he earned an MA from Clare. Mellon Financial Corporation, NYSE: MEL based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is engaged in the business of institutional and high-net-worth-individual asset management, including the Dreyfus family of mutual funds; business banking; and shareholder and investor services. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ...

He enrolled at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland in 1940 but six months later joined the United States Army, later serving with the Office of Strategic Services in Europe. He rose to the rank of major and was the recipient of four Bronze Star Medals. St. ... Nickname: Americas Sailing Capital , San Diego East, Dogtown Motto: Vixi Liber Et Moriar - I have lived, and I shall die, free Location in Maryland Coordinates: Country United States State Maryland County Anne Arundel County Founded 1649 Incorporated 1708 Mayor Ellen O. Moyer (D) City Council Richard E. Israel (D... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States armed forces and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime (but not direct) precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Major is a military rank the use of which varies according to country. ... The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration and is the fourth highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service. ...

After his wife Mary's death in 1946, he married Rachel Lambert Lloyd (called "Bunny"), a descendant of the Lamberts who formulated and marketed Listerine and an heiress to the Warner-Lambert corporate fortune. (Warner-Lambert is now part of Pfizer, following a 2000 merger.) This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Pfizer, Incorporated (NYSE: PFE), is the worlds largest pharmaceutical company based in New York City. ...

Establishment of Philanthropic Foundations

Paul Mellon established the Old Dominion Foundation in 1941 and the Bollingen Foundation in 1945, both to support advancement and learning of the humanities and liberal education. The Bollingen Foundation published over 100 books before closing in 1969, the same year the assets of the Old Dominion Foundation were merged into those of the his sister Ailsa's Avalon Foundation. The combined organization was renamed The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in honor of their father, though Paul did not get along with him. The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view. ... The term liberal education has its origins in the medieval concept of the liberal arts , but now tends to be mainly associated with the application of Enlightenment liberalism. ... The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is a foundation endowed with wealth accumulated by the late Andrew W. Mellon. ...

Philanthropy: Yale

Paul Mellon's foremost philanthropic interest was his alma mater, Yale University. His most generous and well-known gifts established the Yale Center for British Art, but his legacy makes itself felt across the campus. The Yale Center for British Art is an art museum associated with Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut in the United States. ...

Mellon granted his extensive collection of British art, rare books, and related materials to Yale University in the 1960s, along with the funding to create an appropriate museum to house it (designed by Louis Kahn). He characteristically insisted that it not be named in honor of him, but rather would be called the Yale Center for British Art, to encourage others to support it as well. Mellon also provided extensive endowment support to fund not only operations but also an ongoing program of acquisitions, and he made a generous bequest to the Center at the time of his death. Salk Institute, La Jolla, California Louis Isadore Kahn (February 20, 1901/1902 – March 17, 1974) was a world-renowned architect who practiced in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Yale Center for British Art is an art museum associated with Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut in the United States. ...

The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art was founded in 1970 through a generous grant to Yale University, as a London-based affiliate of the New Haven center, to encourage study of British art and culture both at the undergraduate and the research scholar levels. The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art is a scholarly centre devoted to the study of British Art. ... Yale redirects here. ...

Mellon's other major gift was to provide extensive funding to support the creation of two new undergraduate residential colleges at Yale, Ezra Stiles College and Morse College. Design by Eero Saarinen, these colleges along with the Kahn-designed British Art Center demonstrated Mellon's commitment to bringing modern architecture to Yale. Perhaps most importantly, the additional undergraduate capacity that these colleges provided were a critical prerequisite to the ability of the university to transition to co-education. Ezra Stiles College is a residential college at Yale University, built in 1961 by Eero Saarinen. ... Morse College is a residential college at Yale University, built in 1961 by Eero Saarinen. ... Saarinens Gateway Arch frames The Old Courthouse, which sits at the heart of the city of Saint Louis, near the rivers edge. ...

Beyond these capital gifts, Mellon also supported Yale in a variety of additional ways. Without naming them for himself, he endowed the deanships of each of Yale's 12 residential colleges, a significant gift that helped to solidify these positions that contribute significantly to student life. He created the Mellon Senior Forum program, which provides a weekly meal for seniors in each of the residential colleges where they can share progress on their senior essays and projects with one another, allowing students to avoid becoming too narrowly focused on their major, which is widely considered a signature feature of Yale's senior year.

And Mellon was extremely active in ways large and small in the humanities. He provided the funding necessary to create the Directed Studies program of intense freshman-year focus on the humanities. He gave significant support to two undergraduate majors, theater studies and the humanities. And of course, he endowed named professorships in schools throughout the University, particularly in humanistic fields.

Philanthropy: National Gallery of Art

Mellon was a major donor to the National Gallery of Art in the U.S. capital, Washington D.C.. He gave at times to support the acquisitions of particular works of art, but he is perhaps best known for leading the funding for the construction of the East Building. This was built on a plot of land adjoining the original Gallery, planned by his father Andrew to enable future growth, and Paul Mellon, both directly and through The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, not only provided the funding for this new building but also was involved in the selection of the architect - I.M. Pei - and the supervision of design and construction. At times he also provided various endowment funds to support the National Gallery. The East Building of the National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art is an art museum managed by the government of the United States but privately owned, although it functions as a public institution. ... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has a second meaning based on an alternative sense of capital) is the principal city or town associated with a countrys government. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is a foundation endowed with wealth accumulated by the late Andrew W. Mellon. ... Ieoh Ming Pei (貝聿銘 pinyin Bèi Yùmíng) is a Chinese American architect born in Suzhou, China on April 26, 1917. ...

Philanthropy: Other

Mellon also provided important leadership gifts to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, as well as Choate Rosemary Hall. The Virginia Museum of Fine arts, or ‘’’VMFA’’’ is an art museum in Richmond, Virginia. ... Nickname: River City, Cap City, R-V-A Motto: Sic Itur Ad Astra (Thus do we reach the stars) Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia County Independent City Mayor L. Douglas Wilder (D) Area    - City 62. ... Choate Rosemary Hall Choate Rosemary Hall is a private school for boarding and day students. ...

Rokeby Stables

Paul Mellon owned many thoroughbred horses under his Rokeby Stables including Kentucky Derby winner, Sea Hero and the European champion, Mill Reef. He won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder in 1971 and again in 1986. Mellon is the only person to have won a Kentucky Derby (Sea Hero - 1993), the Epsom Derby, and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Mill Reef - 1971). Churchill Downs racetrack, 1998 The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. ... Sea Hero is an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. ... Mill Reef (1968-1986) was a champion thoroughbred racehorse. ... Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder is a American Thoroughbred horse racing honor for breeders. ... Churchill Downs racetrack, 1998 The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. ... Sea Hero is an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. ... Epsom Derby, Théodore Géricault, 1821. ... Races at Lonchamp - Édouard Manet, 1867 The Prix de LArc de Triomphe is a flat thoroughbred horse race of a 2400 metres (about 1 mile 4 furlongs) raced on turf for 3 year olds and up, Colts, horses, Fillies and mares (exclude geldings). ... Mill Reef (1968-1986) was a champion thoroughbred racehorse. ...

Honors and Awards

Paul Mellon was a trustee of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and one of the only four people ever designated "Exemplars of Racing" by the Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and the English Jockey Club 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. ...

Among honors, he was made an Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (K.B.E.) in 1974, awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1985, and awarded the National Medal of Arts and Humanities in 1997. Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are... The National Medal of Arts is an award and title bestowed on selected honorees by the National Endowment for the Arts. ...

References

• National Gallery of Art: Paul Mellon Remembered
• "Reflections on the Life of Paul Mellon," Yale Bulletin & Calendar, 27:20 February 8-15, 1999
• Paul Mellon at the Yale University Center for British Art
• Paul Mellon at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
• Paul Mellon's Personal Library at the University of Virginia
• Paul Mellon at The National Sporting Library
• Paul Mellon at the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame
• Patrick Ward, Donations Need Not Have Name Attached, Yale Daily News, November 7, 2006 [1]
• David Cannadine, Mellon: An American Life, Knopf, 2006, ISBN 0-679-45032-7