Art Collector and Philanthropist
Born Pittsburgh on 11 June 1907. Inherited a vast fortune from his father Andrew Mellon, the noted industrialist and financier, and spent a good deal of his life giving away large amounts of it. (At least a billion USD it is estimated.) After his father's death in 1937, rejected business life in favour of his interests in collecting art, rare books and manuscripts, as well as the breeding and racing of horses.
Amongst the institutions which benefited from his largess were the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. (which received the contents his father's renowned art collection), the Yale Center for British Art and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Died Upperville, 1 February 1999.