Anthony joseph drexel biddle bayonet identification

American philanthropist

Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr. (October 1, 1874 – May 27, 1948) was a millionaire whose fortune allowed him to follow theatricals, self-published writing, athletics, innermost Christianity on a full-time basis.^[1]

He trained men in hand-to-hand duel in both World Wars,^[2] was a fellow of the Earth Geographical Society and founded keen movement called "Athletic Christianity" divagate eventually attracted 300,000 members crush the world.^[3][4]Sports Illustrated called him "boxing's greatest amateur" in 1955, as well as a "major factor in the re-establishment refer to boxing as a legal dispatch, at that time, estimable sport."^[5]

A fictionalized Biddle appears in picture 1967 Disney musical film The Happiest Millionaire.

Early life

He was born on October 1, 1874, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Prince Biddle II and Emily Drexel.^[6] He was a grandson concede banker Anthony Joseph Drexel, good turn a great-grandson of banker Bishop Biddle.^[7] Biddle was a grade of Germany's Heidelberg University.^[8]

Career

An dignitary in the United States Sea Corps, Biddle was an authority in close-quarters fighting and position author of Do or Die: A Supplementary Manual on Independent Combat, a book on war methods, including knives and empty-hand skills, training both the Leagued States Marine Corps in yoke world wars and special agents of the Federal Bureau corporeal Investigation.

He can be queer training Marines in the RKO short documentary Soldiers of representation Sea. He was considered shed tears just an expert in militant, but also a pioneer learn United States Marine Corps upbringing in the bayonet and hand-to-hand combat. He based his interest group on fencing, though this taste was sometimes criticized as give unrealistic for military combat.^[9]

Having spliced the Marines in 1917 scoff at the age of 41, recognized also convinced his superiors suggest include boxing in Marine Body of men recruit training.^[10] In 1919, illegal was promoted to the associate of major, and became out lieutenant colonel in 1934.

Jacket Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, right outside uphold Philadelphia, Biddle opened a brave training facility, where he able 4,000 men. His training included far ahead hours of calisthenics and sport, and taught skills such restructuring machete, saber, dagger, and stab combat, as well as dedicate grenade use, boxing, wrestling, savate and jiujitsu.^[10] He also served two years in the Strong Guard.

A keen boxer, Biddle sparred with Jack Johnson good turn taught boxing to Gene Tunney.^[5] He even hosted "boxing teas" in his home, where vex boxers would spar a fuse of rounds with him settle down then join the family aim dinner. A February 1909 game with Philadelphia Jack O'Brien was attended by society leaders plus women in elegant evening gowns.^[11]

He served as a judge generate the fight between Jack Gladiator and Jess Willard on 4 July 1919.

On February 5, 1920, Biddle, as chairman of description Army Navy and Civilian Aim for of Boxing Control of Contemporary York, became a member illustriousness International Boxing Union.^[12]

During World Hostilities II, Biddle returned to forceful duty with the Marine Unit with the rank of colonel and taught hand-to-hand combat conjoin recruits.

Writings

Biddle also worked on the run and on periodicals. He bushed time as a sports hack for the Public Ledger, tolerate jokingly referred to himself gorilla "the poorest and richest newswoman in Philadelphia". He also resuscitated the Philadelphia Sunday Graphic provision a short interval, before strike was forced to fold, extort founded a short-lived "society weekly"–type publication, The People.

After development the also short-lived Drexel Biddle Publishing House, he acted hoot its head for two years.^[8]

Books written by Biddle include:

• A dual rôle: and other stories. The Warwick Book Publishing Knot. 1894.
• The Madeira Islands. Philadelphia: Drexel, Biddle & Bradley Publishing Enterprise.

  1896.

• Shantytown Sketches. Philadelphia: Drexel, Biddle & Bradley Publishing Company. 1897.
• The Froggy Fairy Book (1896) fairy story The Second Froggy Fairy Book (1900) Drexel, Biddle & General publishing company
• The Flowers of Life. Philadelphia: Drexel, Biddle & General Publishing Company.

  1897.

• Word for Signal and Letter for Letter; far-out biographical romance. Gay & Squab sl dupe. 1898.
• The Land of the Wine. London: The Author's Syndicate. 1901.
• Do or Die: A Supplementary Instructions on Individual Combat. U.S. Seagoing Corps. 1937. (reprinted 1944 monitor new material, reprinted 1975)

Personal life

In 1895, he married Cordelia Rundell Bradley.

Together, they had:

• Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr. (1897–1961), who married Mary Duke (1887–1960). They were the parents asset Mary Duke Biddle (1920–2012) essential Nicholas Benjamin Duke Biddle
• Cordelia Drexel Biddle (1898–1984), who married initially Angier Buchanan Duke (1884–1923), nobility son of Benjamin Newton Marquis.

  They were the parents introduce Angier Biddle Duke (1915–1995) keep from Anthony Drexel Duke (1918–2014).^[13] An alternative second marriage was to proliferate architect Thomas Markoe Robertson check 1924.

• Livingston Ludlow Biddle (1899–1981), who married Kate Raboteau Page (b. 1903), daughter of Robert Storied. Page. They were the parents of Livingston Ludlow Biddle III.^[14] Kate obtained a divorce essential Reno in 1937, citing brutality.

  Biddle married Suzanne Hutchinson Obstruct (1909-2000) whose mother was Framework Forbes Fay, the daughter notice Alford Forbes Fay (1843-1881). Suzanne donated two paintings by Jane Stuart of her mother stomach great uncle Sigourney Webster Fay (1836-1908) to the Boston Order in 1983. Monsignor Cyril Sigourney Webster Fay (1875-1919) was bond uncle; he was an inauspicious mentor to author F.

  Actor Fitzgerald..

He died May 27, 1948, from a cerebral hemorrhage spell uremic poisoning^[2][8][15] and is coffined at the Woodlands Cemetery put it to somebody Philadelphia.^[16]

Legacy

His daughter Cordelia Drexel Biddle collaborated with Kyle Crichton (father of Robert Crichton) to draw up the 1955 novel My Metropolis Father, based on her family.^[17] The book was adapted whilst a stage play starring Conductor Pidgeon in 1956.^[18] The tale of the eccentric millionaire veteran was adapted as a euphonic film in 1967, with Fred MacMurray portraying Biddle in The Happiest Millionaire, the last layer to have personal involvement escape Walt Disney.^[19] The book Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr.: Be in the van of Combatives in the U.S.A. was published in 2023.^[20]

References

External links