George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil (February 27, 1925 – October 19, 2020) was an American businessman who was the owner and chairman of

Biltmore Farms Founded in 1897 by George Washington Vanderbilt II, Biltmore Farms has evolved from one of the Southeast's largest independent dairy producer to a community development firm. Son of William Henry Vanderbilt and grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, ...

Biography

George was the first of two sons born to

John Francis Amherst Cecil John Francis Amherst Cecil (30 June 1890 – 22 October 1954) was the first secretary of the British Embassy, Washington, known for his marriage to Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt. Early life John Francis Amherst Cecil was born on 30 June 1890 ...

(1890–1954) and

Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt, later Cecil, later Bulkely-Johnson, later Goodsir (August 22, 1900 – February 7, 1976) was an American born heiress and member of the Vanderbilt family who inherited the Biltmore Estate. She was known for her ec ...

(1900–1976) and was the grandson of

George Washington Vanderbilt II George Washington Vanderbilt II (November 14, 1862 – March 6, 1914) was an American art collector and member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, which amassed a huge fortune through steamboats, railroads, and various business enterprises. He ...

, the founder of the

Biltmore Estate Biltmore Estate is a historic house museum and tourist attraction in Asheville, North Carolina, United States. The main residence, Biltmore House (or Biltmore Mansion), is a Châteauesque-style mansion built for George Washington Vanderbilt II ...

. He was educated in Europe, attended the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

, and served in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Upon the death of his mother, Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt, George was given the choice of taking over Biltmore Farms (the family dairy) or the Estate. Leaving the estate for his younger brother

William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil (August 17, 1928 – October 31, 2017) was a British-–American businessman. He was the owner of the Biltmore Estate through his company, The Biltmore Company. Biography William A. V. Cecil was the younger son ...

, George chose to take ownership of Biltmore Farms which, at the time, was much more profitable. Biltmore Farms had continued to grow under George's management, transforming it into a profitable real estate business that serves the

Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populous city in Western North Carolina a ...

area.

Personal life

Cecil was a direct descendant of both

William Henry Vanderbilt William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885) was an American businessman Known as "Billy", he was the eldest son of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, an heir to his fortune and a prominent member of the Vanderbilt family. Vanderbil ...

and, on his father's side, William Cecil, the chief adviser to

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

in the 16th century, through his grandparents, Lord William Cecil and

Mary Rothes Margaret Cecil, Baroness Amherst of Hackney Mary Rothes Margaret Cecil, 2nd Baroness Amherst of Hackney, (''née'' Mary Rothes Margaret Tyssen-Amherst; 25 April 1857 – 21 December 1919, also known as Lady William Cecil) was a British hereditary peer, charity worker, amateur archaeolo ...

. He married Nancy Owen Cecil and together they had six children: John ("Jack") F. A. V. Cecil, Edith Ann Cecil, Catherine Cecil Taylor, Margaret Cecil Sinnott, Louisa Cecil Harrison, and Christopher Cecil. His elder son, John F. A. V. Cecil, is currently the president of

. Cecil was born at

Biltmore House Biltmore Estate is a historic house museum and tourist attraction in Asheville, North Carolina, United States. The main residence, Biltmore House (or Biltmore Mansion), is a Châteauesque-style mansion built for George Washington Vanderbilt ...

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad River, French Broad and Swannanoa River, Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populou ...

. He died in October 2020 at the age of 95. His wife Nancy predeceased him.

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cecil, George H. V. 1925 births 2020 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople American people of Dutch descent American people of English descent George Henry Vanderbilt George Henry Vanderbilt Military personnel from North Carolina People from Asheville, North Carolina Royal Navy personnel of World War II George Henry Vanderbilt George Henry Vanderbilt Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Biltmore Estate

Biography

Personal life

Ancestry

See also

References