Zachary Smith Reynolds | |
|---|---|
 Reynolds in 1931 | |
| Born | November 5, 1911 |
| Died | July 6, 1932 (aged 20) |
| Other names | Z. Smith Reynolds |
| Alma mater | Richard J. Reynolds High School Woodberry Forest School |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2; including Anne Cannon Forsyth |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | R. J. Reynolds Jr. (brother) Mary Reynolds Babcock (sister) William Neal Reynolds (uncle) |
Zachary Smith Reynolds (November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1932) was an American amateur aviator and youngest son of American businessman and millionaire R. J. Reynolds. The son of one of the richest men in the United States at the time, Reynolds was to inherit $20 million when he turned 28 (equivalent to $450 million in 2023),[1] as established in his father's will.[2]
In the early morning of July 6, 1932, Reynolds died, under mysterious circumstances, of a gunshot wound to the head, following a party on the family estate of the Reynolda House. A series of investigations revealed inconsistent testimony from the party-goers and signs of tampering with the crime scene. The death gained sensational national media coverage after Reynolds' wife of a few months, Broadway singer and actress Libby Holman, along with Reynolds' friend Albert "Ab" Walker, were indicted of first-degree murder charges by a grand jury. The case was eventually dropped, due to lack of evidence and at the request of the Reynolds family. It remains unsolved. Based on the evidence and testimonies, it is unknown if it was a murder or suicide.[3] Multiple films were inspired by the case, including the melodrama film Written on the Wind (1956).[4]
Reynolds' siblings donated their shares of his estate to form the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation for the benefit of social causes in North Carolina.[5]
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Bradshaw, Jon (1985). Dreams That Money Can Buy: The Tragic Life of Libby Holman. William Morrow & Co. p. 23. ISBN 978-0688011581.
- ^ "Death of Z. Smith Reynolds". Reynolda Revealed.
- ^ "Death was a tale fit for film". Winston-Salem Journal. February 2, 2012.
- ^ Peters, Mason (Dec 1987). "Smith Reynolds: The man and the mystery" (PDF). Greensboro News & Record.