Mrs. Vincent Astor

Brooke Marshall Astor was the only child of Major General John Russell and granddaughter of Rear Admiral John Henry Russell, a descendant of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. With her moneyed background, she grew up in Hawaii, Panama, China and Santo Domingo, and became fluent in Chinese. In 1953, she became the third wife of Vincent Astor, who was listed 12th on the first Forbes list of the wealthiest Americans. Vincent Astor left an enormous estate at his death in 1959, and left his widow to distribute the funds to charity. Over the next 40 years, Mrs. Astor distributed $195 million from The Astor Foundation to New York social projects, including the Bronx Zoo and the New York Public Library. In 1997, at the age of 95, she gave out the last $25 million and closed the foundation, stating that she wanted more time to travel and write poetry. On January 15, 1998, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. As a major New York philanthropist and one of the last scions of the American Astor dynasty, Brooke Astor has earned a place as New York's grande dame, equally known for her personal style and witty demeanor. Having recently turned 103, she still makes appearances in New York City.