Frank Jay Gould
Frank Jay Gould ( December 4, 1877 *, † April 1, 1956, Juan- les-Pins ) was an American philanthropist and the owner of several casinos and hotels on the Côte d' Azur, including the Hotel " Le Provençal " in Juan -les-Pins.
Life
He was born as the youngest son of the railway investor Jay Gould (1836-1892) and his wife Helen Day Miller ( 1838-1889 ). He married in 1901 Helen Margaret Kelly and had with her two daughters: Helen Gould and Dorothy Gould ( 1904-1969 ). The divorce took place 1908. Gould's second wife was the actress Edith Kelly, whom he married in 1910. 1923, the literary figure Florence La Caze ( 1895-1983 ) was the third wife Gould.
Already in 1892, he inherited one-sixth of his father's assets. In 1909 he founded the Virginia Railway and Power Company, which in 1925 first in Virginia Electric and Power Company ( VEPCO ) and was renamed in the 1980s in Virginia Power. Today it supplies under the name Dominion the states of Virginia and North Carolina with electricity and natural gas provides for a half-dozen other states ready.
France
Frank Gould came to build the hotels and casinos aim to France. Unlike other investors, he made out no creations from scratch, but increased the resources of the future tourist resort by the construction of buildings. Around 1910 he developed in the city of Maisons -Laffitte, a huge area around his team and invested in the development of equestrian sport.
From the town of Granville, he wanted to make the " Monaco of the North" and built a casino in 1911 and 1912, the Palace Hotel le Normandy. Gould eventually moved to Juan -les -Pins, where he bought the villa " La Vigie ". Compared to his estate he left a pine forest and built in 1926 to create the famous "Le Provençal ". This luxury hotel with its 290 rooms was one of the most important hotel palaces of the Côte d' Azur. His wife Florence Gould received there many celebrities of the era, such as André Gide, Roger Martin du Gard, Jean Paulhan, Jean Cocteau, Charles Chaplin and Estée Lauder. Built in the style of the "Art Deco " was the Le Provencal one of the most elegant hotels in Europe.
Gould also launched the first summer casino of Juan- les-Pins. He opened his regimen in the spring, while there had been a winter season in the 19th century, mainly. The whole " jeunesse dorée " from Europe came to have fun. This was followed by film stars such as Mary Pickford, Mistinguett and Maurice Chevalier.
In 1927 he transferred the construction of the second casino in the spa town of Bagnoles l'Orne architect Auguste Bluysen. This building is one of the cornerstones of the resort, the beautiful Art Deco facade is reflected in the lake. In Nice, built on his initiative from 1927 to 1929 the palace hotel " Palais de la Méditerranée ", another highlight of the Arts Deco, which is still run as a hotel.
Frank Jay Gould died on April 1, 1956 in Juan -les-Pins.