William Ziegler Jr.

William Ziegler Jr.
Born
William Conrad Brandt

(1891-07-21)July 21, 1891
Muscatine, Iowa
United States
DiedMarch 13, 1958(1958-03-13) (aged 66)
Manhattan, New York
United States
Resting placeWoodlawn Cemetery,
The Bronx, New York
Alma materColumbia University,
Harvard University
Occupation(s)Business CEO, Racehorse owner and breeder, Philanthropist
Board member ofRoyal Baking Powder Co.,
American Maize-Products
Spouse(s)Gladys Virginia Watson (1912–1926)
Helen B. Murphy (1927-1957)
ChildrenHelen Ziegler Steinkraus (1927–2012)

William J. Ziegler Jr. (July 21, 1891 – March 3, 1958) was an American business executive, philanthropist, polo player, yachtsman, and a Thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder.[1]

Born William Conrad Brandt in Muscatine, Iowa to the half-brother of William Ziegler who adopted the boy at age 5 and renamed him William Ziegler Jr.[2] While studying at Wadham College, Oxford as a 1910 Rhodes Scholar,[3] he was a non-starting participant at the hammer throw and shot put events at the 1912 Summer Olympics.[4]

He graduated from Columbia University and then Harvard University. Inheriting over half of his father's $30 million estate when his father died, he was then president of Royal Baking Powder Company until it merged into Standard Brands in 1929. He was also chairman on many boards: American Maize-Products, Huttig Manufacturing (sash and door company of Muscatine, Iowa[5]), Southworth Management, Realty Administration Corp.[6] He was also president of the Great Island Holding Company and Park Avenue Operating Company (which was an acquisition vehicle for the 55th Street mansion property).[2]

After his mother, Matilda, died, he took over her Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind publishing, American Foundation for the Blind, and other charities.[2]

He was listed as living at his home on Great Island, Noroton, Connecticut in 1917, when he was treated for appendicitis.[7]

He married his first wife, Gladys in 1912, then lived in the William Ziegler House, a New York City mansion at 2 East 63rd Street they had designed by Frederick Sterner in 1919. It still exists.[2]

He and his second wife, Helen Martin Murphy (married 1927), lived in the William and Helen Ziegler House on 55th Street, which he had designed by William Lawrence Bottomley and was built in 1926–1927. It still exists.[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference vaNRHPnom was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d e "WILLIAM and HELEN MARTIN MURPHY ZIEGLER, Jr. HOUSE" (PDF). Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Rhodes Scholar Database". Rhodes Trust. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  4. ^ "Will Ziegler". Olympedia. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  5. ^ "Great Island Holding Corp. v. Comm'r of Internal Revenue, 5 T.C. 150 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved 12 August 2020. All of the stock of Huttig Manufacturing Co., which operated a sash and door plant at Muscatine, Iowa, where all of its officers except its president were located, was owned by the petitioner corporation. The operations of this corporation were entirely independent of petitioner and were completely at its own expense.
  6. ^ "Supreme Court". Google Books. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  7. ^ "William Ziegler Operated Upon". timesmachine.nytimes.com. 30 June 1917. Retrieved 12 August 2020.