NOTED LEADER OF "400" PASSES ON
Mrs. Ogden Goelet is dead
Mrs. Ogden Goelet, former New York and Newport society leader, died today at in her apartment at the Savory-Plaza hotel.
She was the sister of Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, mother of the Duchess of Roxburghe and one of the wealthiest women of her time. She succumbed following five days illness of pneumonia.
At her bedside were her sister, Mrs. Grace Graham Vanderbilt; her sister in law Mrs. Richard T Wilson Jr.; her son and daughter in law Mr. and Mrs. Robert Goelet and grandsons, Ogden and Peter Goelet.
High in Social Scale
Many of Mrs. Goelet's kin, in keeping with her own social prestige, ranked high in the social scale of past generations here and in Newport. Ogden Goelet, her husband a "Croesus" of his day, with a fortune of 30 million when she became his bride, Ogden died at Cowes, Isle of Wight in England while aboard his yacht, the Mayflower.
After his death Mrs. Goelet carried on the family prestige brilliantly for many years, but relinquished her leadership of the 400 several years ago, when she went to Europe and remained there several seasons. She had spent much of her time in recent years with the Duchess of Roxburghe, formerly Mary Goelet, at Floors Castle, in Scotland.
Renowned Beauty
Mrs. Goelet was Mary Rita Wilson, eldest daughter of Richard Thornton Wilson Sr. who came to New York after the Civil War. Mrs. Goelet was a renowned southern beauty, when she met Ogden Goelet at New London, Conn., during a yachting event. Their marriage eventuated in a series of brilliant alliances for the Wilson family. Her sister Lelia Belle Wilson, married Lord Michael Herbert, her eldest brother Marshall Orme Wilson married Caroline "Carrie" Schermerhorn Astor, and another sister Grace Graham Wilson became Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt. Mrs. Goelet's youngest Richard Thornton Wilson Jr. married Marion Mason of Boston, scion of a family including names of Lowell, Lawrence and Ames. Robert Wilson Goelet, her son married Elise Whelen of Philadelphia.
The funeral will be held at the old Goelet mansion on Fifth Avenue, one time scene of many brilliant social events, which has remained closed for many seasons.
Burial will be with her husband Ogden at Woodlawn Cemetery.
