Today marks the first of new regular feature - This Day in Jekyll History. While today’s event is a somber note, we think throughout the year you will enjoy the births, deaths, invasions, explorations, and bits of trivia that have been connected to Jekyll Island and illustrate the connections to life today. We hope you enjoy them.
On this Day in Jekyll History, January 9, 1933,
Jekyll Island Club President Walter Jennings passes away tragically on Jekyll Island.
On January 4th, Mr. Jennings and his wife Jean were injured when their automobile stuck a truck while driving on Jekyll Island. Mrs. Jennings blackened both eyes. Initially, Mr. Jennings seemed fine, but apparently suffered a heart attack and died January 9th at his cottage Villa Ospo.
Born in San Francisco, California in 1858, Walter was the son of Oliver Burr Jennings and Esther Judson Goodsell. His maternal Aunt was Almira Goodsell Rockefeller, wife of William A. Rockefeller. Walter’s sister Helen married Walter Belknap James and sister Emma Brewster married Hugh Dudley Auchincloss. Rockefeller, James and sisters Emma and Annie Burr were all also Jekyll Club members. Walter received his BA from Yale in 1880 and an LLB from Columbia in 1882. He was a classmate of Teddy Roosevelt at Columbia. From 1882 to 1886 he worked for Pratt Manufacturing Co, NY, an oil refiner which became a part of Standard Oil. He moved to Oil City, PA with United Pipeline Division of the National Transit Co. In 1888 he joined the Merchandising Division of Standard Oil of NJ in the NYC office. He became a Director of Standard Oil of NJ from 1903 until his death. From 1908 to 1911 he was Secretary of the parent Standard Oil Group. Also from 1908 to 1919 he was President of National Fuel Gas Co. Walter was a Trustee of NY Trust Co. and a Board Member of the NY Hospital and Lying In Hospital. He raised prize winning Jersey cattle on his Long Island, New York farm. His estate was at Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island adjacent to Walter Belknap James, his brother-in-law. He married Jean Pollock Brown in 1891. They had three children: Oliver Burr, Jeannette, and Constance. The Jennings completed “Villa Ospo” on Jekyll Island in 1927. He served as President of the Jekyll Island Club from 1927 until 1933.
Enjoy History? Vist the Jekyll Island Museum, 100 Stable Road, Jekyll Island, GA www.jekyllisland.com/history
or become a Fan of the Jekyll Island Museum on Facebook
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on Friday, January 9th, 2009 at 10:33 am and is filed under History comes Alive.
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