Inspirational Quotes by Brooke Astor (American Writer, Philanthropist)

Brooke Russell Astor (1902–2007,) originally Roberta Brooke Russell, was an American socialite, philanthropist, and writer. One of New York City’s most generous benefactors for the latter half of her long life, she employed her position, wealth, and energies in the interest of cultural enrichment and the poor.

Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Astor enjoyed a privileged upbringing. Her first marriage at age 16 introduced her to several politicians and journalists. During this time, she began writing for Vogue and Pictorial Review, volunteering for charitable organizations, and serving on charity boards.

Astor’s third marriage was to Vincent Astor, great-great-grandson of fur magnate and financier and America’s first multi-millionaire John Jacob Astor and heir to the family’s fortune, in 1953. When he died in 1959, Brooke Astor became chairperson of the Vincent Astor Foundation. She set about providing nearly 100 grants each year to charitable organizations, civic programs, and cultural institutions in New York City, including organizations serving the homeless, programs to build parks in housing projects, and such institutions as the New York Public Library, the Bronx Zoo, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the 35 years before the foundation’s closing in 1997, she supervised the distribution of approximately $195 million.

Astor was the author of two novels of high society life and two volumes of personal memoirs. Her novels, The Bluebird is at Home (1965) and The Last Blossom on the Plum Tree (1986,) reflect her own experience in upper-class society. Her two autobiographical works, Patchwork Child (1962) and Footprints (1980,) describe her youth and life as a socialite and philanthropist. She also wrote poems, published two collections, and had many printed in the New Yorker magazine.

More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Brooke Astor