Peggy Zinsser Douglas
Peggy Zinsser Douglas | |
|---|---|
Peggy Zinsser (later Douglas), from the 1919 yearbook of Smith College | |
| Born | Margaret S. Zinsser August 5, 1898 Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 15, 1992 (aged 94) Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
| Other names | Peggy Z. Douglas |
| Occupations | Philanthropist, arts patron, political hostess |
| Spouse | Lewis Williams Douglas |
| Children | 3, including Sharman Douglas |
| Relatives | John J. McCloy (brother-in-law) Hans Zinsser (uncle) James Douglas Jr. (father-in-law) |
Margaret "Peggy" Zinsser Douglas (August 5, 1898 – August 15, 1992) was an American arts patron, philanthropist, and political hostess. She raised millions of dollars for the Metropolitan Opera, served on the board of Lincoln Center, the United Negro College Fund, and many other organizations, and was a diplomatic hostess while her husband Lewis Williams Douglas was the United States ambassador in London from 1947 to 1950.
Early life and education
Zinsser was born in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, the daughter of Frederick G. Zinsser and Emma Sharman Zinsser. Her father and brother were executives in the chemical industry.[1][2] Scientist Hans Zinsser was her uncle.[3] Her sister married lawyer and diplomat John J. McCloy.[4] She graduated from Smith College in 1919.[5] Her paternal grandmother left $10,000 to each granddaughter, conditioned on their ability to prepare a "good meal" before the age of 21.[6]
Career
During the 1930s, Douglas was a political wife in Washington, D.C., while her husband was a Congressman and Budget Director under Franklin D. Roosevelt.[7] As the American ambassador's wife in London after World War II, Douglas was a public figure; she stayed at Windsor Castle,[8] dined with Elizabeth II, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill,[9] presided at the opening of Benjamin Franklin House in 1947,[10] visited disabled veterans in hospitals, and presented Academy Awards to British winners in 1949.[11] In 1952 she was honored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews for her work on intercultural understanding.[12] In 1965, she hosted Princess Margaret and her husband during a stay at the Douglases' ranch in Arizona.[13]
Douglas was a formidable fundraiser for the Metropolitan Opera, the American Museum of Natural History,[14] the Child Adoption Service,[15] and other charities, and served on the boards of Lincoln Center, the United Negro College Fund, and the Institute of International Education,[16] among other organizations.[17]
Personal life
Zinsser married Lewis Williams Douglas in 1921. They had a daughter, Sharman Douglas,[18] and sons James and Lewis.[19] Her husband died in 1974,[20] and she died in 1992, in Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 94.[17]
References
- ^ "Mrs. F.G. Zinsser". The New York Times. June 8, 1966. p. 42. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ "John S. Zinsser, 76, Chemical Executive". The New York Times. April 22, 1971. p. 44. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ "Foreign Relations: The Manager Abroad". TIME. December 1, 1947. Archived from the original on 2025-06-02. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- ^ "Ellen Z. McCloy, 87, Leader in Relief Efforts in Germany". The New York Times. April 8, 1986. p. 102. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ Smith College (1919). Class of 1919. College Archives Smith College Libraries. Smith College. p. 93 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "$10,000 For Good Meal; A Test for Smith Girl; Miss Peggy Zinsser Has Three Years Yet to Win Legacy". Springfield Weekly Republican. 1916-11-09. p. 10. Retrieved 2025-12-12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "F.D.R.'s Budget Boss An Economy Crusade". The Kane Republican. 1933-03-01. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-12-12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Douglas Guest of British King". The New York Times. April 17, 1950. p. 7. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ "Mrs. Roosevelt is Guest; Churchill and Douglas Attend Palace Party in Her Honor". The New York Times. April 4, 1948. p. 6. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ "Franklin House Opened; Mrs. Douglas Unveils Tablet at London Ceremony". The New York Times. June 28, 1947. p. 4. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ "Oscars for British; Mrs. Lewis Douglas Presents Awards to 'Best' Actors". The New York Times. May 30, 1949. p. 9. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- ^ "Mrs. Lewis W. Douglas Honored for Work In Augmenting Intergroup Understanding". The New York Times. September 17, 1952. p. 15. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- ^ Curtis, Charlotte (November 12, 1965). "Princess Margaret and Husband Rest at Lewis Douglas Farm in Tucson Following Reception at Inn". The New York Times. p. 50. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ "Lewis Douglases Hosts; Dinner of the Natural History Museum Aids 10-Year Plan". The New York Times. December 9, 1937. p. 32. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ "Adoption Service Will Be Assisted At Show Nov. 22; State Charities Aid Unit to Be Helped by 'The Gay Life'". The New York Times. August 12, 1961. p. 15. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ "Educational Unit Names Chairman of May 15 Fete; Mrs. L.W. Douglas to Head International Institute Benefit". The New York Times. April 2, 1961. p. 83. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ a b Lambert, Bruce (August 17, 1992). "Peggy Z. Douglas, a Fund-Raiser And Champion of Arts, Dies at 94". The New York Times. pp. B8. Archived from the original on 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- ^ Curtis, Charlotte (October 30, 1968). "Charmin' Sharman Douglas Is Married to Andrew Hay". The New York Times. p. 50. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ "Obituary for Lewis W. "Pete" Douglas, Jr". Monarch Society. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- ^ Whitman, Alden (March 8, 1974). "Lewis W. Douglas Is Dead; Envoy to Britain 1947-50; Roosevelt's First Budget Director Was Wartime Deputy Shipping Chief". The New York Times. p. 36. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
External links
- "Disabled ex-Servicemen Receive Gifts in Hospital" (1949), a newsreel featuring Douglas visiting disabled veterans in Roehampton Hospital, via British Pathé