HENRY FRANCIS DU PONT
Name: Henry Francis du Pont
Born: 1880
Died: 1969
Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969), Harvard 1902, married 1916 Ruth Wales (1891 -
1967) was an American horticulturist, an expert on early American furniture &
decorative arts particularly of the Federal style, & a member of the prominent
du Pont family.
Born at Winterthur, Delaware, he was the only son of Henry Algernon du Pont and
Mary Pauline Foster. He studied horticulture at the Bussey Institution at
Harvard University. In 1916, he married Ruth Wales (1889-1967) and they had 2
children, Pauline Louise du Pont (1918-2007) and Ruth Ellen du Pont (b. 1922).
A collector of Americana, Henry Francis du Pont developed the family estate into
the well known [[Winterthur Museum & Country Estate, establishing it as a museum
in 1951. Before he developed his antique collection however, he was one of the
premier breeders of Holstein-Freisien cattle in America. The Winterthur herd of
dairy cattle was well known in farming and agricultural circles from the 1920s
up until du Pont's death in 1969. After Henry Francis du Pont's death, the herd
was sold & much more emphasis was placed on promoting du Pont's antique
collection.
He was asked by Jacqueline Kennedy to help oversee the renovation of the White
House in 1961-1963, using his contacts and expertise to acquire donations of
fine art and furniture, at times clashing with Kennedy's interior designer
Stephane Boudin.
Name: Henry Francis du Pont
Born: 1880
Died: 1969
Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969), Harvard 1902, married 1916 Ruth Wales (1891 -
1967) was an American horticulturist, an expert on early American furniture &
decorative arts particularly of the Federal style, & a member of the prominent
du Pont family.
Born at Winterthur, Delaware, he was the only son of Henry Algernon du Pont and
Mary Pauline Foster. He studied horticulture at the Bussey Institution at
Harvard University. In 1916, he married Ruth Wales (1889-1967) and they had 2
children, Pauline Louise du Pont (1918-2007) and Ruth Ellen du Pont (b. 1922).
A collector of Americana, Henry Francis du Pont developed the family estate into
the well known [[Winterthur Museum & Country Estate, establishing it as a museum
in 1951. Before he developed his antique collection however, he was one of the
premier breeders of Holstein-Freisien cattle in America. The Winterthur herd of
dairy cattle was well known in farming and agricultural circles from the 1920s
up until du Pont's death in 1969. After Henry Francis du Pont's death, the herd
was sold & much more emphasis was placed on promoting du Pont's antique
collection.
He was asked by Jacqueline Kennedy to help oversee the renovation of the White
House in 1961-1963, using his contacts and expertise to acquire donations of
fine art and furniture, at times clashing with Kennedy's interior designer
Stephane Boudin.