:Belle W. Baruch
{{short description|American equestrian and philanthropist (1899–1964)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Belle W. Baruch
| image = Belle Baruch on July 20, 1918 in Islip, New York (cropped).jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Belle Wilcox Baruch
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1899|08|16}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1964|04|25|1899|08|16}}
| death_place = New York, U.S.
| other_names =
| occupation =
| years_active =
| known_for = Equestrianism, aviator, benefactor.
| parents = Bernard Mannes Baruch
Annie Griffin
| notable_works =
}}
Belle Wilcox Baruch (August 16, 1899Miller, Mary E. (2006). Baroness of Hobcaw: The Life of Belle W. Baruch. The University of South Carolina Press; {{ISBN|978-1-61117-211-9}} – April 25, 1964) {{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/26/archives/belle-w-baruch-is-dead-at-64-prominent-in-sports-and-charity.html|title = Belle W. Baruch is Dead at 64; Prominent in Sports and Charity|newspaper = The New York Times|date = April 26, 1964}} was an American equestrian, philanthropist, and the daughter of financier Bernard Mannes Baruch.
Biography
Belle Wilcox Baruch was born on August 16, 1899, the daughter of Bernard Mannes Baruch and Annie Griffin. Her paternal grandfather was Simon Baruch, a physician. Her uncle was Herman B. Baruch, also a physician.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}
Baruch was a noted athlete who excelled as an equestrian, sailor and hunter. In 1930 and 1931, she was awarded the President of the Republic's Cup for winning the classic competition in the Paris horse show and, in the 1931 competition, she was the only one of 119 contestants to post a perfect score.
All told, she won more than 300 prizes in competitions in France and other countries.{{cite news |title=Belle W. Baruch Is Dead at 64 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/26/belle-w-baruch-is-dead-at-64.html |work=New York Times |date=April 26, 1964 |access-date=2016-11-02 }}
When the U.S. embassy in France would not issue her a license to ride in international shows because she was a woman, she obtained one from the French. She was, however, unable to achieve her ambition of competing in the Olympics as women could not join the equestrian team before 1956.{{cite news |title=The Baroness of Hobcaw |url=http://charlestonmag.com/features/the_baroness_of_hobcaw |work=Charleston Magazine |date=September 2013 |access-date=2016-11-02 }}
Legacy
Her legacy is preserved in the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences (University of South Carolina) and the Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology & Forest Science (Clemson University) both established on Hobcaw Barony, a former rice plantation purchased by her father. Upon her death in 1964, the property was transferred to the Belle W. Baruch Foundation[http://www.hobcawbarony.org/ Foundation website] for the creation of a nature and research preserve. Hobcaw Barony is located on Waccamaw Neck in Georgetown County, South Carolina.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.gcdigital.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/p163901coll005 Belle W. Baruch Collection] at Georgetown County Digital Library
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Baruch, Belle W.}}
Category:American conservationists
Category:American female equestrians
Category:American people of German-Jewish descent
Category:Businesspeople from South Carolina
Category:20th-century American businesswomen
Category:20th-century American businesspeople
Category:20th-century American Jews
Category:20th-century American sportswomen
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