Overview of Marjorie Merriweather Post
This episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class (hosts Holly Frey and Tracy V. Wilson) profiles Marjorie Merriweather Post — heiress, business leader, major philanthropist, art collector, and builder of Mar-a-Lago. It covers her upbringing as the only child of C.W. Post (founder of Postum), sudden inheritance and stewardship of the family business, four high-profile marriages, large-scale philanthropy (WWI, the Depression, cultural institutions), major real-estate projects (Mar-a-Lago, Hillwood), and how her legacy played out after her death.
Key takeaways
- Marjorie Merriweather Post inherited and ran Postum (later General Foods) at age 27 after her father C.W. Post’s 1914 death.
- She combined extravagant social life and collecting with hands-on philanthropy—especially during WWI and the Great Depression (funding hospitals, Red Cross, city canteens).
- Major projects: built Mar-a-Lago (completed 1927) and later developed Hillwood in Washington, D.C. Hillwood is now a public museum; Mar-a-Lago was eventually sold to Donald Trump after attempts to gift it to the federal government failed.
- She expanded and modernized the Post company (including acquiring Clarence Birdseye’s frozen-food patents in 1929), repositioning it as General Foods and taking it public.
- Personal life was turbulent: four marriages (Edward Close; E. F. Hutton; Joseph E. Davies; Herbert A. May), divorces, scandals, and family conflicts affected both her personal and public life.
- Famous guiding maxim: “keep it moving, make it work, make it create, make it do good, and make it help in many hundreds of ways.”
Timeline / Biography (concise)
- 1887: Marjorie Merriweather Post born March 15; only child of C.W. and Ella Post.
- Childhood: Grew up around Postum business in Battle Creek; given stock and business education by her father.
- 1905: Married Edward Close (attorney); two daughters: Adelaide (1908) and Eleanor (1909).
- 1914: C.W. Post dies by suicide; Marjorie inherits majority of company after legal challenge; becomes company head at 27.
- 1917–1918: WWI philanthropy — funds a Red Cross hospital in France; Active in suffrage movement.
- 1919: Divorced Edward Close.
- 1920: Marries E.F. Hutton (stockbroker); 1923 daughter Nadinia born.
- 1927: Mar-a-Lago completed (original budget $1M; final ~$2.5M).
- 1929: Purchases Clarence Birdseye’s frozen-food company; Postum becomes General Foods.
- 1930s: Active Depression-era philanthropy — opens canteens in Manhattan and funds numerous relief efforts.
- 1935: Divorces Hutton amid infidelity; he resigns from company positions.
- 1936–1939: Marries Joseph E. Davies; serves socially/diplomatically while he is ambassador to the USSR and later advisor.
- 1950s–60s: Publishes, exhibits, awards (e.g., French Legion of Honor, 1957); builds Hillwood estate as museum intention.
- 1958: Marries Herbert A. May; divorces 1964 after scandal.
- 1973: Dies September 12 of heart failure. Hillwood becomes a museum; Mar-a-Lago reverts to her foundation and is later sold to Donald Trump.
Major themes & character insights
- Wealth + Responsibility: Marjorie saw her fortune as a tool to “keep moving” and to fund public good—active philanthropist rather than passive benefactor.
- Business competence: Raised with business training by C.W.; despite gender barriers, she orchestrated major corporate moves (modernizing leadership, taking the company public, acquiring Birdseye).
- Social prominence and collecting: Major art, jewelry, and antiques collector; used homes (Manhattan, Palm Beach, Hillwood) to display collections and host diplomatic/social events.
- Complex personal life: Four marriages, several public separations/divorces, and recurring tensions over control of assets and infidelity in partners.
- Pragmatism blended with spectacle: She invested big (e.g., Mar-a-Lago during local building bust to keep workers employed), but also preserved assets and planned public legacies.
Legacy, properties, and posthumous outcomes
- Hillwood (Washington, D.C.): Restored and opened as a museum showcasing her art and grounds; still operates as Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens.
- Mar-a-Lago (Palm Beach): Willed to the National Park Service but found unsuitable as an official “winter White House.” Reverted to her foundation, later sold to Donald Trump for $10M; municipal and security issues limited federal adoption.
- Business legacy: Postum → General Foods; the Birdseye acquisition cemented modern frozen-food industry growth.
- Philanthropic footprint: Funded wartime hospitals, Depression relief work, cultural institutions (supported National Symphony, early push for the Kennedy Center), and donated to exhibitions (e.g., Marie Antoinette exhibit at Versailles).
Notable quotes, awards, and honors
- Key quote reflecting ethos: “Keep it moving, make it work, make it create, make it do good, and make it help in many hundreds of ways.”
- Awards: French Legion of Honor (1957) for wartime support and cultural philanthropy.
- Public honors: Hillwood opened as a museum; her donations supported major cultural projects.
Controversies & sensitive topics
- C.W. Post’s death: Her father died by suicide in 1914 — a pivotal and traumatic event that precipitated her sudden corporate control.
- Marriages and scandals: Public divorces, infidelity (E.F. Hutton), and later scandal involving Herbert May and younger men contributed to public scrutiny and personal upheaval.
- Miscarriage: Brief mention in transcript of an earlier pregnancy loss.
- Mar-a-Lago’s fate: Failed federal donation, expensive upkeep, and eventual private sale later linked to national headlines under Donald Trump.
Practical follow-ups / recommended next steps for listeners
- Visit Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens (Washington, D.C.) website to view the collection and Marjorie’s stated intentions for the estate.
- Read more about:
- C.W. Post and the origins of the processed-food industry
- Clarence Birdseye and the frozen-food revolution
- Joseph E. Davies’ Mission to Moscow and its historical controversies
- If interested in women in early-20th-century business leadership, use Marjorie’s career as a case study in navigating gender constraints and using wealth for public philanthropy.
Credits: Episode from Stuff You Missed in History Class (iHeartRadio), hosted by Holly Frey and Tracy V. Wilson.