Arthur Ivar Appleton (October 14, 1915 – January 15, 2008) was a businessman from the Northbrook area of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

. He lived part of the year in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

and split time between his

Indian Creek Indian Creek may refer to the following: Communities * Indian Creek, Orange Walk District, Belize, a village in Belize * Indian Creek, Toledo, a village in Belize * Indian Creek, Florida, U.S. * Indian Creek, Illinois, U.S. * Indian Creek No. 7 ...

estate near

Miami Beach, Florida Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which sep ...

, and his thoroughbred farm, Bridlewood Farm in

Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Home t ...

. He was one of the leading thoroughbred horse breeders and owners in the United States. He made his fortune in the family's electrical supply business, Appleton Electric Company, founded by his father, Albert Ivar Appleton, in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

in 1903.

Early life and education

Appleton was born in Chicago on October 14, 1915, the son of the founder of the Appleton Electric Company, Swedish

industrialist A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...

Albert I. Appleton, and Lillian W. Appleton. Appleton loved art and antiques from an early age. His mother was a concert pianist, singer and collector of fine art, who instilled in Arthur and his sister, Edith-Marie, her love of beautiful things. Appleton entered

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

at age 16, receiving his degree from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration and Finance in 1936. Appleton served in the Navy during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, achieving the rank of

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

. Appleton married actress

Martha O'Driscoll Martha O'Driscoll (March 4, 1922 – November 3, 1998) was an American film actress from 1937 until 1947. She retired from the screen in 1947 after marrying her second husband, Arthur I. Appleton, president of Appleton Electric Company in Chica ...

in 1947. The Appletons lived in the Northbrook area, and they had another home in Indian Creek Village, Florida.

Career

Appleton joined the family business, which manufactured electrical products used in chemical and steel plants as well as indoor and outdoor lighting equipment. In 1947, Appleton became president and chairman of Appleton Electric Company. He contributed many inventions to the electronics field, acquiring more than 160 patents. Upon his retirement in 1982, the business was sold to

Emerson Electric Emerson Electric Co. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Ferguson, Missouri. The Fortune 500, ''Fortune'' 500 company manufactures products and provides engineering services for industrial, commercial, and consumer marke ...

. He was also involved in

real estate development Real estate development, or property development, is a business process, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of developed land or parcels to others. R ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

and the oil business in Oklahoma. He appeared on the

Forbes 400 The ''Forbes'' 400 or 400 Richest Americans is a list published by ''Forbes'' magazine of the wealthiest 400 American citizens who own assets in the U.S., ranked by net worth. The 400 was started by Malcolm Forbes in 1982 and the list is p ...

list one time, in 1984, with a net worth of $200 million.

Horse breeding and racing

Appleton was interested in

thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

in Chicago and later in Florida; he served on the board of

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meet ...

Hallandale Beach Hallandale Beach (formerly known simply as Hallandale) is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Luther Halland, the son of a Swedish worker for Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. As of the 20 ...

. In the 1970s, he started accumulating the land that became Bridlewood Farm in

. The farm bred over 90 stakes winners. Notable horses he bred include

Southern Image Southern Image (foaled April 7, 2000) is a millionaire American Thoroughbred racehorse and successful sire. He was bred in Florida by Arthur I. Appleton He finished racing with a record of 6-1-1 in 8 starts and earnings of $1,843,750. Souther ...

and David Junior. The farm also trained 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner

Smarty Jones Smarty Jones (February 28, 2001) is a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and came second in the Belmont Stakes. Background Born at Fairthorne Farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the horse was ...

. Bridlewood was sold to

media mogul A media proprietor, media mogul or media tycoon refers to a entrepreneur who controls, through personal ownership or via a dominant position in any media-related company or enterprise, media consumed by many individuals. Those with significant co ...

John C. Malone John Carl Malone (born March 7, 1941) is an American billionaire businessman, landowner and philanthropist. He was chief executive officer (CEO) of Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI), a cable and media giant, for twenty-four years from 1973 to 1996. ...

in 2013.

Appleton Museum of Art

Appleton, his wife, and his sister started the

Appleton Museum of Art The Appleton Museum of Art is an art museum located in Ocala, Florida. It is affiliated with and governed by the College of Central Florida and has been since 2004. The Appleton Museum of Art houses a collection (museum), permanent collection of ...

in 1987. It was Ocala's first art museum.

Death

Appleton died at home on January 15, 2008, at the age of 92.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Appleton, Arthur I. American people of Swedish descent Businesspeople from Chicago Businesspeople from Florida People from Ocala, Florida American racehorse owners and breeders 1915 births 2008 deaths Tuck School of Business alumni 20th-century American businesspeople United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy officers Military personnel from Illinois

Early life and education

Career

Horse breeding and racing

Appleton Museum of Art

Death

See also

References

External links