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Vincent Astor

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The Resume

    (November 15, 1891-February 3, 1959)
    Born in New York City, New York
    Birth name was William Vincent Astor
    Son of John Jacob Astor IV and his first wife Ada
    Married Brooke Astor (1953-59)
    Founded the charitable Vincent Astor Foundation

Why he might be annoying:

    He left Harvard without a degree.
    He had an irrational hatred towards his father’s third (and final) wife, Madeleine, whom he blamed for his father’s death on the Titanic.
    He was married and divorced twice before his marriage to Brooke.
    Before turning to Brooke, he proposed to Janet Newbold Ryan Stewart Bush, who flatly rejected him, declaring ‘I don’t even like you.’
    He then told her that his health was poor so she would inherit his millions in a few years. Her response: ‘What if you do live?’
    His will leaving everything to Brooke and his eponymous foundation was unsuccessfully challenged by his half-brother John Jacob Astor VI.

Why he might not be annoying:

    Shortly before his first wedding, he came down with the mumps, which left him unable to have children.
    He served in the US Navy during both World Wars.
    During a yachting trip across the Pacific, he secretly spied on Japanese military preparations in the Marshall Islands for Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1938).
    He was described by a family biographer as ‘a hitherto unknown phenomenon in America: an Astor with a highly developed social conscience.’
    He turned some of his properties in New York City into public parks.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 13 Votes: 92.31% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying