Vincent Astor (1891 - 1959)

Financier, Businessman, Philanthropist. The son of Colonel John Jacob Astor IV, he entered Harvard University only to leave after the death of his father in the sinking of the “RMS Titanic”‘. He was the first Astor, in several generations, to take active control of the family investments, with interests in automobiles, shipping and air transportation, […]

John Jacob Astor, IV (1864 - 1970)

Businessman, Disaster Victim. A victim of the RMS Titanic sinking, he was the great-grandson of patriarch John Jacob Astor I, the grandson of “landlord of New York” William Backhouse Astor, and the son of THE Mrs. William Astor, nee Caroline Schermerhorn, legendary queen of New York’s elite “400.” He and his older cousin, William Waldorf […]

William “Tex” Henson (1924 - 2002)

Cartoon Animator. Henson became an animator after graduating from high school in Dallas, Texas, and moving to California. While in California he joined the Disney Studios. At Disney he was part of a team of animators who helped create such characters as, ‘Chip ‘n Dale. He later helped create Boris and Natasha and Rocky & […]

John Jacob Astor, III (1822 - 1890)

Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General, Financier. Grandson of patriarch John Jacob Astor I and son of William Backhouse Astor. He devoted his life to philanthropy and civic affairs. He and his wife Charlotte provided funding for a host of charities, including the Children’s Aid Society, the Astor Library, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and […]

Glen Cooper Henshaw (1880 - 1946)

Acclaimed American artist. He worked primarily in pastel, doing many portraits and urban studies of the cities in which he lived — Indianapolis, Paris, Chicago, Balitmore, and especially New York.  From 1940 until his death he maintained a studio in Nashville, Indiana, where he spent his summers. (bio by: Henshaw Trust)

Wilhelm Hensel (1794 - 1861)

Court painter, husband of Fanny Hensel (qv). (bio by: David Conway)  Family links:  Spouse:  Fanny Mendelssohn (1805 – 1847)*  Children:  Felix Ludwig Sebastian Hensel (1830 – 1898)* *Calculated relationship

John Jacob Astor (1763 - 1848)

Businessman, Merchant, Investor. He became the first multi-millionaire and creator of the first trust in the United States as a result of his fur business, the American Fur Company. Born Johann Jakob Astor in what is now known as Waldorf, in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, he began working as an assistant in his father’s […]

Robert Henri (1865 - 1929)

American Artist. He was a leading figure of the Ashcan School of American realism and an organizer of the group known as “The Eight,” a loose association of artists who protested the restrictive exhibition practices of the powerful, conservative National Academy of Design. (bio courtesy of: Wikipedia)  Family links:  Parents:  John Jackson Cozad (1830 – […]

William Henry Aspinwall (1807 - 1875)

Businessman. In 1832 William joined Howland & Aspinwall, a New York merchant firm founded by his cousins that specialized in trade with the Caribbean. He assumed control of the firm in 1835 and expanded trade to South America, China, Europe, the Mediterranean, and the East and West Indies. In 1840 his younger brother, John, began […]

Ernest Martin Hennings (1886 - 1956)

Artist. Painter of Western landscapes, Indian genre, figure compositions and portraits. (bio by: Laurie)  Family links:  Spouse:  Marie Hennings

Charles Edward Ashburner (1870 - 1932)

Pioneering City Manager. When he, a civil engineer, became “general manager” for Staunton, Virginia, he became the first city manager in the first city with a fully defined city manager system. He served as city manager of Staunton from 1908 to 1911, Springfield, Ohio in 1914, Norfolk, Virginia in 1918; and Stockton, California in 1923. […]

Helen West Heller (1970 - 1955)

Artist. Known for her oil painting, egg tempera, mosaic and especially her wood engraving.  (bio by: Laurie)  Family links:  Spouse:  Roger Paul Heller (1888 – 1975)* *Calculated relationship

Newton F “Newt” Heisley (1920 - 2009)

Flag Designer. Educated in the field of fine arts, he worked as a graphic artist in the advertising business in New York City. In 1971 he was chosen by Annin and Company, the largest flag manufacturer in the United States, to create and design a flag recognizing the United States service members missing in action […]

Mary Kay Ash (1918 - 2001)

Businesswoman. As a child took care of her father who had tuberculosis while her mother worked in a restaurant. In 1939 she started selling Stanley Home Products, working for them until 1952. On Sept 13, 1963 she launched Mary Kay Cosmetics on $5000.00. In 1968 Mary Kay, Inc. went public, and in 1969 she awarded […]

Annemarie Heinrich (1912 - 2005)

Photographer. Born in Germany, she migrated to Argentina at age 14. She played an important role in Argentine photography and is well recognized for her portraits of Eva Perón, Jorge Luis Borges and other Argentine personalities of the 20th Century. (bio by: 380W)

Sohaku Asada (1970 - 1970)

Physician and businessman. Asada, who was trained in Chinese medicine, served as a physician to the Imperial Court during the Meiji Restoration. He also was the founder of the Asada Candy business. (bio by: Warrick L. Barrett)

Charles Emile Heil (1870 - 1950)

Artist. Specialized on painting and etching of birds. Today his work can be seen in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Art in Washington DC. (bio by: Laurie)

Adolph Frederick William Arnold (1849 - 1912)

Industrialist. He co-founded the Schwinn Bicycle Company. Born in Germany, he immigrated to the United States as a child. He was educated in Chicago, Illinois, and soon entered the small meat-packing business founded by his father. Under Adolph’s guidance, Arnold Brothers Packing grew into one of the largest firms of its kind. The Arnold family […]

Henry Heerup (1907 - 1993)

Artist. Reknown as a painter and sculptor. Born and lived in Copenhagen and outskirts. His art is naive much like the illustration on his tombstone (which he made himself). Even though he didn’t have any relation to the abstract expressionism in his painting, he belonged to the circle around Cobra. He was the founder and […]

George Buchanan Armstrong (1822 - 1871)

United States Postal Official. While serving as assistant Postmaster of Chicago, Illinois, he proposed to send mail via the railway as a means of faster delivery. In 1864 Postmaster General Montgomery Blair first experimented, then implemented this practice. It became the staple of long distance mail delivery before being outstripped by air freight shipping. George […]

Jeanne Hébuterne (1898 - 1920)

Artist. She is best known as the model and common-law wife of artist Amedeo Modigliani. Born to a Catholic family in Paris, Jeanne was introduced to the artistic community in Montparnasse by her brother, an aspiring painter. A beautiful young woman with considerable talent for drawing, she modeled for artist Tsuguharu Foujita before pursuing her […]

Simeon Brooks Armour (1828 - 1899)

Businessman. One of 5 Armours who developed Armor and Company Meat Packing. In 1871 John Plankington and Phillip Armour opened a small slaughterhouse in Kansas City. The company already had two large packinghouses, one in Milwaukee and one in Chicago.  John Plankington retired from Plankington & Armour in 1885 and Armour Brothers was organized.  Phillip […]

Louis-Philippe Hébert (1850 - 1917)

Sculptor, Educator. Louis-Philippe Hébert, son of Théophile Hébert and Julie Bourgeois, was baptized on February 3, 1850 at Saint Norbert, Arthabaska, Québec, Canada. The French Canadian left home in 1869 and spent a year in Rome. Upon his return, he apprenticed with Quebec sculptor Napoléon Bourassa. He stayed for six years, and his art soon […]

Philip Danforth Armour, I (1832 - 1901)

Businessman. He was born in Stockbridge, New York, where his parents were farmers. When he was 19, he left for California to join the gold rush, where he started a business building sluices for use in the gold mining enterprise. Around 1856, he took his profits from the sluice business and relocated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, […]

John Heartfield (1891 - 1968)

Photographer, inventor of photo-montage which he often used for satirical purposes. (bio by: David Conway)

George Peter Alexander Healy (1813 - 1894)

Artist. Primarily an American portrait painter, he is best remembered for his portraits of US presidents from John Quincy Adams to Ulysses S. Grant painted for the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and other prominent figures of the 1800s. The oldest child of an Irish merchant marine captain, his father died when he […]

Kirkland B. Armour (1854 - 1901)

Businessman. One of 5 Armours who developed Armor and Company Meat Packing. In 1871 John Plankington and Phillip Armour opened a small slaughterhouse in Kansas City. The company already had two large packinghouses, one in Milwaukee and one in Chicago.  Born in Stockbridge, New York, Kirkland B. Armour and his brother, Charles, came to Kansas […]

Martin Johnson Heade (1819 - 1904)

Artist. Born and reared in Lumberville, a small rural community near Doylestown, in Buck’s County, Pennsylvania. He was the eldest son in the large family of Joseph Cowell Heed, the owner of a farm and a lumber mill. The youth’s first lessons in art were provided locally by Edward Hicks and probably also by Thomas […]

Jonathan Ogden Armour (1863 - 1927)

Businessman, Major League Baseball Team Owner. The oldest son of Phillip Danforth Armour, who founded Armour and Co. J Ogden. Armour was  born a few years after his father first established a meatpacking partnership and grain company in Milwaukee. By the end of the Civil War the Armour’s had become millionaires due to Philip’s success […]

Sir George Hayter (1792 - 1871)

Artist, specializing in historical subjects, and a favorite of Queen Victoria.