Paul Mellon: A Philanthropic Life I
There is no intellectual or emotional substitute for the authentic, the original, the unique masterpiece Paul Mellon
Paul Mellon, renowned art collector, horse breeder, sportsman, and conservationist, hailed from one of the most affluent families of the twentieth century. He followed his personal hopes and ambitions, which helped to create a world of philanthropy like no other. Many continue to benefit from his generosity, and many have been influenced by this private man’s benevolent spirit. His contributions to the world of art, along with his efforts to preserve picturesque landscapes and seascapes, have given gifts of beauty, enjoyment, and tranquility to millions of people. Paul Mellon was born on June 11, 1907, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Andrew William Mellon (1855–1937) and Nora Mary McMullen (1879–1973). He had one sibling, an older sister, Ailsa Mellon Bruce (1901–1969). His father was a successful banker and industrialist who served as the United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932 through three successive presidential administrations: Warren G. Harding (1865–1923), Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933), and Herbert Hoover (1874–1964). Hoover appointed him ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1932, and in 1933 President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) extended that appointment. Paul’s paternal grandfather, Thomas Alexander Mellon (1813–1908), emigrated from Ireland to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in 1818. He attended the University of Pittsburgh in 1834. After graduation in 1837, he began a successful law firm, eventually becoming a judge in 1859. In 1843, Thomas married Sarah Jane Negley (1817–1909) and of
their eight children, only five survived to adulthood. Thomas invested his earnings wisely, and in 1872 opened his first bank, T. Mellon and Sons. Thomas laid the foundation for the Mellon family’s prosperity, but it was mainly through the activities of Andrew William Mellon and his brothers Thomas Alexander Mellon II (1844–1899), James Ross Mellon (1846–1934), and Richard Beatty Mellon (1858–1933) that the family fortune was built. The Mellon family developed a formidable range of business ventures and in the early 1900s, the Mellons were among the wealthiest and most prominent bankers and industrialists in the United States. In 1912, when Paul was quite young, his parents divorced. He grew up mainly in Pittsburgh where he attended Shady Side Academy, an exclusive private elementary school. During summer breaks, he spent time with his mother in Hertfordshire, where he became enamored with the English countryside. He especially enjoyed horseback riding with his mother, and later in life, the rolling hills and lush meadows of England heavily influenced his collecting of British art. At the age of 13, Paul began his studies at the elite Choate Preparatory School in Wallingford, Connecticut. It was at this time that Paul developed a genuine fondness for writing. Before graduating in 1925, he wrote the school’s hymn and he contributed regularly to its literary publication, The Choate Literary Magazine. His poem, “Beauty Came,” was just one of many that displays his clever and artful ability to verbalize his thoughts.
Paul Mellon leaning against a haystack, Oak Spring, ca. 1952. Photograph by Thomas Neil Darling, courtesy of Howard Allen Photography, LLC, Middleburg, VA.
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