Astor family biography services bronx ny

American heiress (–)

Caroline Schermerhorn Astor Wilson (October 10, – September 13, ) was an American heiress, social leader, and prominent member of New York society.

Early life

Caroline Schermerhorn Astor was born in New York City on October 10, , and was known as "Carrie". She was the fourth of five children born to William Backhouse Astor Jr. and Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, leader of the "Four Hundred". Her three elder sisters were Emily Astor, who married socialite James Van Alen; Helen Astor, who married diplomat James Roosevelt Roosevelt (the elder half-brother of future president Franklin D. Roosevelt); and Charlotte Astor, who married James Coleman Drayton and, after his death, George Ogilvy Haig. She had one younger brother, Colonel John Jacob Astor IV, who died aboard the RMS Titanic in

Carrie was a descendant of many prominent Americans. Her paternal grandparents were William Backhouse Astor Sr. and Margaret (née Armstrong) Astor while her maternal grandparents were Abraham Schermerhorn and Helen Van Courtlandt (née White) Schermerhorn. She was also a great-granddaughter of John Jacob Astor, America's first millionaire, wealthy merchant Peter Schemerhorn, and Continental major and U.S. SenatorJohn Armstrong Jr. and Alida (née Livingston) Armstrong. Her uncle John Jacob Astor III was the father of William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor.

Carrie grew up at her parents' New York brownstone, Fifth Avenue, at the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, known for its ballroom.

Society life

In , wealthy socialite Alva Vanderbilt, the then wife of railroad tycoon William Kissam Vanderbilt, planned an elaborate masquerade ball for 1, guests (reportedly costing $3 million) to celebrate the opening of her new home at Fifth Avenue, known as the William K. Vanderbilt House. The ball was to feature entertainment given by

Astor Services for Children & Families — originally the Astor Home for Boys and later the Astor Home for Children — was established in in response to an initiative of the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene to create children’s residential treatment programs that would reduce the need for psychiatric hospitalization of children.

The Astor Home For Children

Its first home — now the agency’s administrative offices and its residential treatment center — was located in Rhinebeck, NY on property donated by Vincent Astor to the Archdiocese of New York. At its inception, The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul assumed administrative responsibility for the agency. Later, administration of the Astor agency passed to a staff of committed and innovative professionals who are responsible for the wide range of services and programs which today constitute Astor Services for Children & Families.

Growth of Community-based Services

In , Astor opened its first outpatient mental health clinic in Rhinebeck, the first of what would become a wide range of community-based behavioral health treatment programs intended to make it possible for emotionally disturbed youngsters to receive quality treatment and case management services while continuing to live at home and attend school in their communities.

Milestones

The ’s and 60’s marked the inception of Astor’s training programs in social work, child psychology and psychiatry. The ’s also marked the beginning of Astor’s expansion into the Bronx and the opening of the first of Astor’s group homes, among many milestones.

In , Astor was one of the first mental health facilities for children in the country to receive accreditation by the Joint Commission. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards. Astor has been accredited f

The Bronx

Hudson Valley

Request an Appointment

American businessman and philanthropist (–)

William Vincent Astor (November 15, – February 3, ) was an American businessman, philanthropist, and member of the prominent Astor family.

Early life

Called Vincent, he was born in New York City on November 15, Astor was the elder child of John Jacob Astor IV, a wealthy businessman and inventor, and his first wife, Ava Lowle Willing, an heiress from Philadelphia.

He graduated in from St. George's School in Middletown, Rhode Island, and attended Harvard College from to , leaving school without graduating. In Vincent Astor's father, John Jacob Astor IV died on the Titanic and left him the biggest fortune at that time and made Vincent Astor one of the richest people in the world.

Interests

Like his father, Astor belonged to the New York Society of Colonial Wars. Having joined the U.S. Naval Reserve Force prior to America's entry to the First World War, he was called to active duty on April 7, , and was later promoted to Lieutenant. As executive officer aboard the armed yacht USS Aphrodite he saw service escorting convoys and was aboard when she struck a mine on January 10, Subsequently, Astor was made commodore of the New York Yacht Club from to

Astor was interested in trains. In the early s, he established an estate in Bermuda which included a private narrow-gauge railway and union station with the Bermuda Railway. The estate is now divided among several private owners, none of whom are part of the Astor family. As recently as , the remains of some of his rolling stock were visible.

In , Astor became the chairman and chief stockholder of Newsweek magazine. From to , the magazine was headquartered at the Knickerbocker Building, built by his father. Astor remained the principal owner until his death. Two years later, The Washington Post Company purchased a controlling stake (59%) of Newsweek