Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr. | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Biddle in 1918 | |
| Born | October 1, 1874 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 27, 1948 (aged 73) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Resting place | The Woodlands (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| Spouse | Cordelia Rundell Bradley |
| Children | 3, including Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr. |
| Relatives | Anthony Joseph Drexel (grandfather) Nicholas Biddle (great-grandfather) |
Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr. (October 1, 1874 – May 27, 1948) was a millionaire whose fortune allowed him to pursue theatricals, self-published writing, athletics, and Christianity on a full-time basis.[1]
He trained men in hand-to-hand combat in both World Wars,[2] was a fellow of the American Geographical Society and founded a movement called "Athletic Christianity" that eventually attracted 300,000 members around the world.[3][4] Sports Illustrated called him "boxing's greatest amateur" in 1955, as well as a "major factor in the re-establishment of boxing as a legal and, at that time, estimable sport."[5]
A fictionalized Biddle appears in the 1967 Disney musical film The Happiest Millionaire.
- ^ p.253 Baltzell, Edward Digby Philadelphia Gentlemen: The Making of a National Upper Class 1958 Free Press
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
obitwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Shantytown sketches". 1899.
- ^ "Foreign Service: Athletic Christian". Time magazine. August 5, 1935. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ "Events & Discoveries". Sports Illustrated. May 9, 1955. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2011.