Robert Early Strawbridge Jr. (November 17, 1896 – March 6, 1986) was an American polo champion and chairman of the

United States Polo Association The United States Polo Association (USPA) is the national governing body for the sport of polo in the United States. Introduction Established in 1890, by David Grubbs the USPA provides resources to over 4,500 individual members and 250 polo clu ...

Early life

He was born on November 17, 1896, to Anita (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth ...

Berwind) Strawbridge (1875–1942), and Robert E. Strawbridge, former president of the

Strawbridge & Clothier Strawbridge's, formerly Strawbridge & Clothier, was a department store in the northeastern United States, with stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. The Center City Philadelphia flagship store was, in its day, a gracious urban emporiu ...

department store in Philadelphia. His sister was Anita Strawbridge (wife of Lt. Cmdr. Hon. Theodore P. Grosvenor). His paternal grandfather was Justus Clayton Strawbridge, who founded Strawbridge & Clothier in 1868. His maternal grandfather was

Charles Frederick Berwind Charles Frederick Berwind (April 1, 1846 – December 4, 1890) was a founder of the Berwind-White Coal Mining Company, serving as its first president. Early life Berwind was born on April 1, 1846 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the elde ...

, founder of the Berwind-White Coal Mining Company. His aunt, Frederica, was the wife of banker

Henry Herman Harjes Henry Herman Harjes (20 February 1875 – 20 August 1926) was a French born American polo player and banker with Morgan, Harjes & Co. Early life Harjes was born on 20 February 1875 in Paris, France. He was a son of John Henry Harjes (1829–1914 ...

, J.P. Morgan's partner in France. His two other maternal aunts were Gertrude, Baroness Boecklin, and Edith, Baroness Von Kleist. From his great aunt Julia Berwind, he received a legacy of $170,000. He attended

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

from 1915 to 1917.

Career

Strawbridge was a lifelong sportsman. In 1913, his father had been made M.F.H. of the famous

Cottesmore Hunt The Cottesmore Hunt, which hunts mostly in Rutland, is one of the oldest foxhound packs in Britain. Its name comes from the village of Cottesmore where the hounds were kennelled. History The Cottesmore Hunt's origins may be traced back to 166 ...

, becoming the first American to become master of an English pack of

foxhound A foxhound is a type of large hunting hound bred for strong hunting instincts, a keen sense of smell, and their bark, energy, drive, and speed. In fox hunting, the foxhound's namesake, packs of foxhounds track quarry, followed—usually on hors ...

s. In the 1920s and 1930s, Strawbridge Jr. was one of the nation's leading polo players earning a 9-goal handicap. In 1924, he was a member of the Meadow Brook team that "wrested the historical International Challenge Cup from the English team in International Field, L.I., when the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

was among the spectators." He was elected chairman of the

in 1936 and retained the post for two decades until 1950 when he was succeeded by

Devereux Milburn Devereux Milburn (September 19, 1881 – August 15, 1942) was an American champion polo player in the early to mid twentieth century. He was one of a group of Americans known as the Big Four in international polo, winning the Westchester Cup six t ...

. He was inducted into the

Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame The Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization to celebrate the sport of polo.Horace Laffaye, Dennis J. Amato, ''Polo in the United States: A History'', Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, 2011, p. 28/ref> Overview ...

in 1996. In 1938, Strawbridge served as chairman of the

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its ...

annual fundraising appeal. Beginning in 1942, Strawbridge was partner of the former New York investment banking firm of Reynolds, Fish & Company. 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 ...

, he was a

lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

in the

United States Navy Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Se ...

assigned to duty with the

Office of Strategic Services The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the intelligence agency of the United States during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all bran ...

in London and Washington. He also served as a member of the executive committee of the

United Service Organizations The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

, the advisory board of the Salvation Army, and the Army and Navy Committee of the

Y.M.C.A. YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

He was a member of the board of managers of

Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK or MSKCC) is a cancer treatment and research institution in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital. MSKCC is one of 52 National Cancer Institu ...

Personal life

On August 15, 1931, Strawbridge was married to

Miss Porter's School Miss Porter's School (MPS) is an elite American private college preparatory school for girls founded in 1843, and located in Farmington, Connecticut. The school draws students from 21 states, 31 countries (with dual-citizenship and/or residence) ...

alumnus Florence Julia Loew (1901–1972) at Trinity Church in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New ...

. Florence was a daughter of William Goadby Loew and the former Florence Bellows Baker (a daughter of financier

George Fisher Baker George Fisher Baker (March 27, 1840 – May 2, 1931) was an American financier and philanthropist. Known as the "Dean of American Banking", he was also known for his taciturnity. Baker made a fortune after the Civil War in railroads and banking, ...

, one of the wealthiest men in America). She grew up in her parents' townhouse at 56 East 93rd Street and their estates in Newport and Tuxedo Park. Together, they were the parents of a son and a daughter: * Robert Early Strawbridge III, who married Alexandra White, daughter of Ogden White and granddaughter of Alexander Moss White (founder of White Weld & Co.), in 1964. * Florence T. Strawbridge, who married Michael McDonough, son of Charles J. McDonough of

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

, in June 1965. He was a member of a number of clubs, including the

Philadelphia Club Philadelphia Club was founded in 1834 and is located at 13th and Walnut Streets in Center City, Philadelphia. It is the oldest city club in the United States and one of the oldest gentlemen's clubs. Notable members have included George Meade ...

, the Rabbit Club, the

Merion Cricket Club Merion Cricket Club is a private club in Haverford, Pennsylvania, founded in 1865. The current clubhouse is its sixth, the last four having been designed by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness and his partner, Allen Evans, who was also a founder ...

and the Rose Tree Fox Hunt. Strawbridge died at his farm in

Chatham, Pennsylvania Chatham is an unincorporated community in London Grove Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. Chatham is located at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 41 and Pennsylvania Route 841 Pennsylvania Route 841 (PA 841) is a stat ...

, on March 6, 1986, after suffering a series of strokes. He was buried in Church of the Redeemer Cemetery in

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Bryn Mawr, pronounced , from Welsh for big hill, is a census-designated place (CDP) located across three townships: Radnor Township and Haverford Township in Delaware County, and Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. I ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Strawbridge, Robert Early Jr. 1896 births 1986 deaths American polo players International Polo Cup Sportspeople from Chester County, Pennsylvania Place of birth missing United States Polo Association