The Vanderbilt family is an American family of railroad notability who became socially prominent during the first half of the nineteenth-century. The family's fortune was established by the shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, and eventually expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthropy through the 20th century. Cornelius Vanderbilt's son and heir, William Henry Vanderbilt, expanded the fortune, becoming the richest man in the world by the time of his death in 1877. His descendants built great mansions in New York, Newport, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Vermont, Massachusetts and various other exclusive homes. The family's prominence lasted until the late 20th century. Most of the family's Fifth Avenue mansions were torn down, and other Vanderbilt homes have been sold or turned into museums. Collectively, the Vanderbilts are the seventh wealthiest family in history. The family surname is of Dutch origin.
Branches of the family are found on the East Coast of the United States as well as in the United Kingdom.
Read more about Vanderbilt Family: History, Family Connection (listed By Ancestry/generation), Family Connection (chronological Listing)
Famous quotes containing the words vanderbilt and/or family:
“When I want to buy up any politician I always find the anti-monopolists the most purchasable—they don’t come so high.”
—William Vanderbilt (1821–1885)
“Because it’s not only that a child is inseparable from the family in which he lives, but that the lives of families are determined by the community in which they live and the cultural tradition from which they come.”
—Bernice Weissbourd (20th century)