Adolph Mollenhauer Dick (1894 - 1956)

Born 21 May 1894 in Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Olive Douglas (Campbell) Dick — married 9 Mar 1935 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States

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Biography

Adolph came from a very rich family. His grandfather William Dick had run the Sugar Trust which held a virtual monopoly on sugar in the US. When his grandfather died, he left an estate valued at $30,000,000 (in 1912 $).

Adolph was attending Yale University when his older brother Henry made it to the front pages of all the newspapers of the day, by marrying Madeline Force Astor, the widow from the Titanic.

After leaving school, he signed up for service in the First World War on May 2, 1917 and began serving as a seaman aboard the USS Anado on July 12, 1917. On january 30, 1918 he was appointed as an officer (Boatswains Mate, 1st Class) on the ship. The USS Anado patrolled Long Island Sound for the US Navy. In reality, it was Adolph's uncle's motor yacht, which was returned to him after the war.

Adolph trained as an architect and was responsible in the 1930's for alterations to 'Allen Winden Farm', the Dick family estate at Islip, Long Island as well as the Islip Town Hall..

Leaving on New Years morning in 1932, Adolph would take part in the voyage of the 'Cressida' to Tahiti, returning to New York in April of the year. Adolph was one of the early patrons of Walker Evans, who would become one of America's most famous photographers. Walker and Adolph both took part in this cruise along with four others. In 1935 Adolph married Polly Campbell, one of the other passengers from that journey. The marriage would not last.

Adolph apparently continued to enjoy sailing, at one point owning the Schooner Te Vega.

The candlesticks shown at the right were made by Edward Winslow. He was one of the very first American silversmiths. They were part of Adolph's estate. They were purchased at his estate auction in 1956 by his sister Doris Dick Havemeyer and her husband Horace Havemeyer. They were a bequest to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in 1983.

Sources

• "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MSGJ-9JS : accessed 20 Jun 2014), William Dick, Islip Township, Election District 3, Suffolk, New York, United States; citing sheet 18A, family 402, NARA microfilm publication T623, FHL microfilm 1241165.

• U.S. School Yearbooks, Connecticut, New Haven, Yale University, 1915, pg. 140 of 544.

• U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, New York, Suffolk County, 2, Draft Card D, pg. 247 of 472.

• New York, Abstracts of World War I Military Service, 1917-1919, WWI Navy Cards, Derby - Dikeman (Box 6), pg. 424 of 600.

• U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925, Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925, 1923, Roll 2278 - Certificates: 296350-296348, 25 May 1923-26 May 1923, pg. 468 of 826.

• Allen Winden Farm, oldlongisland.com.

• New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, Roll T715, 1897-1957, 5001-6000, Roll 5148, pg. 130 of 729.

• New York, New York, Marriage Indexes 1866-1937, Certificate Number: 5197.

• Walker Evans, by James Mellow, Basic Books, 2001.

• collection of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston