Larz Anderson

Larz Anderson was an American diplomat, businessman, and prominent philanthropist of the Gilded Age. A scion of two wealthy and influential families from Cincinnati, he served in several key diplomatic posts across Europe and Asia before retiring to dedicate himself to civic and cultural pursuits. He and his wife, the heiress Isabel Weld Perkins, were renowned for their extensive world travels, their patronage of the arts, and their magnificent estates, most notably Anderson House in Washington, D.C. and Weld in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Early life and education

Born in Paris while his parents were traveling abroad, he was the son of Union Army Brevet Brigadier General Nicholas Longworth Anderson and Elizabeth Coles Kilgour. His paternal grandfather was Nicholas Longworth, a pioneering horticulturist and one of the wealthiest men in the Midwest. He spent his early years at the family estate, Rookwood, in Cincinnati. He received his preparatory education at the Saint Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, before enrolling at Harvard University. He graduated from Harvard College in 1888 and later attended Harvard Law School, though he did not complete a legal degree.

Career

Embarking on a career in diplomacy, his first post was as Second Secretary of the Legation in London in 1891. He later served as Secretary of the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. under Secretary of State John W. Foster. In 1894, he was appointed First Secretary to the U.S. Minister in Tokyo, Edwin Dun, where he developed a lifelong passion for Japanese art. His most significant diplomatic appointment came in 1911 when President William Howard Taft named him U.S. Minister to Belgium, a post he held until 1912. Beyond public service, he was an active businessman, serving as a director for several corporations including the Cincinnati Street Railway and the Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company.

Personal life

In 1897, he married Isabel Weld Perkins, a Boston heiress and author whose fortune originated from her grandfather, Stephen Higginson Perkins, a China trade merchant. The couple had no children but shared a passion for travel, collecting, and society. They undertook numerous grand tours, documented in Isabel's books, visiting destinations across Europe, North Africa, and Asia. They divided their time between their lavish Beaux-Arts mansion, Anderson House, on Embassy Row in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and their country estate, Weld, in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was a member of many elite social clubs, including the Metropolitan Club, the Alibi Club, and the Somerset Club in Boston.

Legacy

His most enduring legacy is the transformation of his Washington residence, Anderson House, into a museum and the headquarters of the Society of the Cincinnati, to which he bequeathed the property along with its extensive collections of fine art and historical artifacts. The house, a National Historic Landmark, contains significant collections of American Revolutionary memorabilia, European painting, and Asian art. His Brookline estate, Weld, was donated to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is now the Larz Anderson Park, featuring a public park and the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, which houses America's oldest car collection. His philanthropic vision significantly enriched the cultural institutions of both Washington, D.C. and Boston.

Honors and awards

For his diplomatic service, he was decorated by several foreign governments. He was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by France and was awarded the Order of the Crown by Belgium. He also received the Order of the Sacred Treasure from Japan in recognition of his efforts to foster cultural understanding. In 1913, he was elected an honorary member of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, reflecting his deep commitment to preserving the history of the American Revolutionary War.

Category:1866 births Category:1937 deaths Category:American diplomats Category:American philanthropists Category:Harvard University alumni