Frederick W. Hughes (better known as Fred Hughes) (July 29, 1943 – January 14, 2001) was an American businessman. He was

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

's business manager for 20 years and the executor of his estate following his death in 1987. Hughes founded the

Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

and served as chairman of the foundation until 1990, when he was forced to resign. His impeccable sense of style earned him a spot in the

International Best Dressed Hall of Fame List The International Best Dressed Hall of Fame List was founded by fashionista Eleanor Lambert in 1940 as an attempt to boost the reputation of American fashion at the time. The American magazine '' Vanity Fair'' is currently in charge of the List ...

in 1987.

Life and career

Hughes was born in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

on July 29, 1943. In 1947, his family moved to

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

and Hughes began taking art classes at the Museum of Fine Arts at the age of 7. He majored in art history at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, but he did not graduate. While studying at the university, Hughes was mentored by John and Dominique de Menil, heirs to the Schlumberger oil fortune, who financed the art history department at St. Thomas. He accompanied them on art-buying trips to New York and Europe, and they helped him get his first job at the

Alexander Iolas Alexander Iolas (Greek: Αλέξανδρος Ιόλας) (March 26, 1908 – June 8, 1987) was an Egyptian-born Greek-American art gallerist and significant collector of classical and modern art works, who advanced the careers of René Magritte, ...

Gallery in Paris. In 1967, Hughes met artist

at a benefit for

Merce Cunningham Mercier Philip "Merce" Cunningham (April 16, 1919 – July 26, 2009) was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 50 years. He frequently collaborated with artists of other discipl ...

Philip Johnson Philip Cortelyou Johnson (July 8, 1906 – January 25, 2005) was an American architect who designed modern and postmodern architecture. Among his best-known designs are his modernist Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut; the postmodern 550 ...

Glass House Glass house or glass houses may refer to: Architecture * Greenhouse, a building where plants are cultivated * Glass works or glasshouse, a manufactory building used for glassblowing * Glasshouse (British Army), a term for a military prison in the ...

New Canaan, Connecticut New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region. About an hour from New York City by train, the town ...

. Hughes recalled the meeting in an interview in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'': "I never questioned whether we'd get along or not. For one thing, he knew who I was, and he saw the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, just like I did." Hughes became Warhol's business manager, and he was later the publisher of

Interview magazine ''Interview'' is an American magazine founded by pop artist Andy Warhol and journalist John Wilcock in 1969. The magazine, nicknamed "The Crystal Ball of Pop," features interviews of and by celebrities. Background In 1965, pop artist Andy War ...

. Hughes was sitting at his desk at

The Factory The Factory was Andy Warhol's art studio in Manhattan, New York City, which had four locations between 1963 and 1987. The Factory became famous for its parties in the 1960s. It was the hip hangout spot for artists, musicians, celebrities, and ...

when

Valerie Solanas Valerie Jean Solanas (April 9, 1936 – April 25, 1988) was an American radical feminist known for her attempt to murder the artist Andy Warhol in 1968. Solanas appeared in the Warhol film '' I, a Man'' (1967) and self-published the '' SCU ...

shot Warhol on June 3, 1968. As Solanas contemplated shooting Hughes she got distracted by the sound of the elevator and then exited the building. Hughes and Factory assistant Jed Johnson were questioned by police because they had witnessed the shooting. Hughes was briefly married to Italian model Marina Schiano in the 1970s. Considered a style inspiration by young people at The Factory, Hughes wore suits by Everall Brothers and

Anderson & Sheppard Anderson & Sheppard is a bespoke tailor on Savile Row, London, established in the Row in 1906. In 2005, its shop moved to Old Burlington Street and has remained there since. It also sells ready-made menswear from its shop in nearby Clifford Stre ...

, shoes by Lobb, and fragrance from

Penhaligon's Penhaligon's is a British perfume house founded in the late 1860s by William Henry Penhaligon, a Cornish barber who moved to London and became Court Barber and Perfumer to Queen Victoria. History William Penhaligon started his working life as ...

. He was featured in an article about the revival of 1930s and 1940s fashion in the February 1971 issue of ''

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

'' magazine. Following Warhol's death in February 1987, Hughes was bequeathed $250,000 and appointed executor of his estate. He founded the

in 1987. Hughes served as chairman of the foundation until 1990 when he was forced out by the man he appointed President of the enterprise, Archibald L. Gillies.

Death

Hughes suffered from

multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...

for eighteen years and succumbed to the ailment at the age of 57 on January 14, 2001. He was survived by his mother, Jennie Wilson Hughes, a sister, Mary-Beth Hansard, and a brother, Thomas.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Fred People with multiple sclerosis 1943 births 2001 deaths People from Dallas County, Texas Businesspeople from Dallas University of St. Thomas (Texas) alumni Deaths from multiple sclerosis People associated with The Factory