Walter Annenberg
Walter Hubert Annenberg KBE (born 13 March 1908 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, † October 1, 2002 in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania) was an American diplomat, publisher and art patron.
Life
Walter Annenberg was the only son of the couple, Moses " Moe" and born in New York City Sarah " Sadie" Cecelia Annenberg, née Friedman, ( 1879-1965 ). Father Moses Annenberg was born in East Prussia, and wandered around the turn of the century Chicago. He later made a fortune in the newspaper industry, was established in 1940 and sentenced for tax evasion. He spent two years in prison and died shortly after his release.
Even Walter Annenberg, who worked in his father's company, was indicted as a possible accomplice. His innocence but soon turned out. After the death of his father he inherited the local newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily Racing Form. In the following years he also bought other print media and radio and television stations. His biggest success was the founder and editor of TV Guide TV Guide ( 1953).
According to campaign contributions for the candidacy of Richard Nixon as U.S. president Annenberg was sent during Nixon's presidency as U.S. ambassador to London ( 1969-1974 ). During this time he was appointed by the Queen Elizabeth II to Knight Commander (KBE ). In the U.S. presidential election campaign in 1980, he assisted with his friends the brewer Joseph Coors and the department store heir Alfred Bloomingdale, the candidacy of Ronald Reagan with financial resources.
In 1988 Annenberg sold his media companies to the Australian media magnate Rupert Murdoch. As a philanthropist, he donated in the following years, more than one billion U.S. dollars to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, drew it usually before but to secretly donate.
Walter Annenberg in 1938 married Veronica " Ronnie " Dunkelman, their marriage ended in divorce after twelve years. From the union two children, Roger and Wallis went out. His son Roger, a student at Harvard University, died on August 7, 1962 to the consequences of suicide by sleeping pills. In 1951 he married Leonore " Lee" Rosenstiel ( 1918-2009 ), a niece of Harry Cohn, the founder and president of Columbia Pictures. She brought two daughters, Diane and Elizabeth, to the marriage.
Walter Annenberg died in 2002 at the age of 94 years from the effects of pneumonia.
His villa " Sunnylands " in Rancho Mirage / California, where he had a summer home since 1966, was attended by many celebrities such as U.S. President Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Also of Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth II, but also play the likes of Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Gregory Peck, James Stewart and Frank Sinatra were there as a guest. Since 2012 the villa for the public is available.