Bayard Tuckerman Jr. (April 19, 1889 – April 14, 1974) was an American jockey, businessman, and politician.

Early life

Tuckerman was born on April 19, 1889 in

Morristown, New Jersey Morristown () is a town and the county seat of Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

, to

Bayard Tuckerman Bayard Tuckerman (2 July 1855 New York City - 20 October 1923) was a United States biographer and historian. He was the son of Lucius Tuckerman an iron manufacturer and Elizabeth Wolcott Gibbs Tuckerman. Biography He studied for two years in Neuch ...

and Annie Smith Tuckerman. He was raised in Hamilton, Massachusetts and educated at St. Mark's School, Sanford School, and Harvard University.

Horse racing

From 1910 to 1915, Tuckerman rode 100 steeplechase horses. He had 16 wins, but placed in 54% of his races. He was considered a leading amateur rider in the 1920s. In 1927 rode a horse in the American Grand National at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

. In the 1930s, Tuckerman raced flat runners and jumpers under the name of Essex Stable. Tuckerman was a leader the campaign to legalize parimutuel racing in Massachusetts. He helped found

Suffolk Downs Suffolk Downs is a former Thoroughbred race track in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The track opened in 1935 after being built by Joseph A. Tomasello for a cost of $2 million. It was sold in May 2017 to a developer who plans to crea ...

and was the track's first president. The track named a stakes race in his honor. He also helped turn the old auto racetrack at Rockingham Park into a horse racing course. Tuckerman and his second wife Milicent founded Little Sunswick Farm. The couple would breed a number of stakes winners including Lavender Hill, 1954's American Champion Older Female Horse. In 1973 he was inducted into the National Racing Hall of Fame.

Military service

After attending officers training at the Plattsburg Barracks, Tuckerman was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in the United States Army on November 27, 1917. He was then transferred to

Quartermaster Corps Following is a list of Quartermaster Corps, military units, active and defunct, with logistics duties: * Egyptian Army Quartermaster Corps - see Structure of the Egyptian Army * Hellenic Army Quartermaster Corps (''Σώμα Φροντιστών ...

and assigned to Remount Division. While serving with the American Expeditionary Forces, he was assistant remount officer for the advance section Services of Supply, First United States Army, and

1st Corps Observation Group The I Corps Observation Group was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, First United States Army. It was demobilized in France after the 1918 Armistice with Germany ...

, and remount officer for the 77th Infantry Division. He was discharged on February 25, 1919. During World War II, Tuckerman drove an ambulance for the American Field Service in North Africa.

Politics

Tuckerman's political career began as a member of the Hamilton Board of Selectmen. From 1929 to 1931 he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. From 1937 to 1941 he was a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council.

Business career

Tuckerman worked for the insurance firm Obrion, Russell & Co. from his graduation from Harvard 1911 until his death in 1974. He also served as a director of Ritz-Carlton, the Rockland-Atlas National Bank of Boston, and the

Boston Garden-Arena Corporation The Boston Garden-Arena Corporation was an American corporation that oversaw the operations of the Boston Garden from 1934 to 1973. It was formed when the Boston Arena Corporation gained control of the Boston Garden from the Madison Square Garden ...

Personal life

On June 20, 1916 he married Phyllis Sears, daughter of wealthy Bostonian

Herbert M. Sears Herbert Mason Sears (1867–1942) was a noted yachtsman and businessman in Boston, Massachusetts. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre for his contributions during World War I. Family He was born into a prominent New England family, a Mayflower ...

, in

Beverly Farms Beverly Farms is a neighborhood comprising the eastern part of the city of Beverly, Massachusetts, in Massachusetts's North Shore region, about 20 miles north of Boston. Beverly Farms is an oceanfront community with a population of about 3,500, ...

. In 1924 the couple hosted Edward, Prince of Wales. One of their sons,

Herbert Tuckerman Herbert Sears Tuckerman (May 2, 1921 – August 8, 2007) was an American politician who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts Senate. Early life Tuckerman was born on May 2, 1921 in Boston. His father Bayard ...

, would follow his father into politics. She filed for divorce on December 6, 1940 in Las Vegas, New Mexico, citing cruelty. Tuckerman stated that he had expected the action and would not contest it. On August 10, 1946, Tuckerman married Milicent Ewell Whittall at a private ceremony in New Hampshire. She continued to breed horses following Tuckerman's death. Her horses included Rise Jim, winner of the Tom Fool Handicap in 1981 and 1982. She died on December 3, 2003 at the age of 94.

Death

Tuckerman died on April 14, 1974 at his home in

Westport, Massachusetts Westport (Massachusett: ) is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,339 at the 2020 census. The village of North Westport lies in the town. Other named areas of the town are "Westport Point," which has a do ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tuckerman, Bayard Jr 1889 births 1974 deaths American jockeys Harvard University alumni Massachusetts Republicans Republican Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives People from Hamilton, Massachusetts People from Westport, Massachusetts People from Morristown, New Jersey Military personnel from Massachusetts Suffolk Downs executives United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees 20th-century American politicians