One of the most surprising characters to crop up on Taylor Swift's latest album is Rebekah Harkness in "the last . Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. After two years, Rebekah Harkness suddenly cut her ties to the Joffrey when Robert Joffrey, its founder and choreographer, wouldnt rename his company for her. All the essentials: top fashion stories, editors picks, and celebrity style. Rebekah Harkness Photo: Jack Mitchell/Getty Images. Though Harkness took those nasty testosterone injections to strengthen her body for dance, the medicine actually had the opposite effect. Salinger had the perfect stories for her music, so one day she disguised herself as a cleaning lady, knocked on his door, then tried to convince him to let her use his fiction. Rebekah was previously married to Niels H. Lauersen, Benjamin Harrison Kean, William Hale Harkness and Dickson W. Pierce. She gave the dancers everything they needed and then some. When she was 10 years old, she did. [3] Harkness would also continue to study dance and piano, and studied ballet with Victoria Cassau, who was a student of Anna Pavlova. So, how much is Rebekah Harkness worth at the age of 67 years old? (Actually, it was a private My Favorite Murder crossover group, if you care.) Before she passed, the socialite spent $250,000 to commission a bedazzled urn from none other than Salvador Dali. This arrangement effectively kept her from having to see her three children on anything like a regular basis. 1944). She had a marvelous time ruining everything, Swift crooned. The celebrities brought paparazzi and, echoes of the Rebekah Harkness era, complaints from the neighbors. Instead, she was reared by a series of nanniesand thats not even the worst part. Rarely does singer and songstress Taylor Swift write songs about someone outside her immediate circle. . One critic denounced it as the worst mural ever made. The 1988 novel was published about Rebekah . Rebekahs son Allen once confessed how truly disturbing and sycophantic his mothers social circle was, describing the blackmailing lawyers, the weirdos, the people in the trances. Harkness also knew how to keep all of her adoring public in competition with each other, with each one of her lackies vying to become the favorite. Before her passing, she picked up her most dedicatedand most heartlessfan yet. Though her children Edith and Terry rushed to her bedside along with her lover Bobby Scevers, the scene was anything but heart-warming. Faced with Ediths grim drive to end her life, Harkness was coldly philosophical. Where Harkness had her Bitch Pack, Swifts group of friends had a much-scrutinized squad. The Joffrey had a price to pay for Rebekah Harknesss support. [1] Before their divorce in 1946, they had two children; Allen Pierce (b. She brought in top choreographers, Jerome Robbins and Brian Macdonald to teach 16 and 17 year olds. Mary and Edward Harkness - The Harknesses at Eolia. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. All of the work and much of the music was original. When she was still just a young girl, the Harknesses noticed that their Betty was putting on weight, so they signed the pudgy girl up for dance and figure skating lessons to help her shed those unsightly pounds. ''Is there a chic way to go?''. The end came swift, fast, and brutal for Harkness. Rebekah Harkness. In 1915, Rebekah West was born in St. Louis to Mr. and Mrs. Allen Tarwater West. But why? Harkness died of cancer in 1982 in New York City. Her daughter Edith killed herself. She thirsted for acclaim as a composer, a dancer and an arts patron, but her thirst for booze and pills undid her. A patron of dance and medicine. The couple divorced in 1977but Rebekahs life was about to take a much darker turn. Equipped with a ludicrous amount of self-confidence, she did something supremely stupid. [4], In the 1960s, Harkness became well known as a philanthropist and patron of the arts. That even the rich must die? Allen Pierce, Rebekah's son by the first of her four husbands, was unable to be present. She gave them weekends off and charge accounts to the shops in town. ''The others, they just know how to bite.'') And when the time came to put Harkness into the Chalice of Life, the plot thickened. Her youngest daughter, Edith, had tried to commit suicide at the age of 15 by flinging herself out of a high rise in front of her. Apparently, Harkness liked to reward her boy-toys, because she soon made Castelli the artistic director of her ballet company. According to one story, Harknesss adoration for her grandchild vanished almost overnight. She danced, too, and composed music. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. These are facts of which we have already been apprised. Her ego, however, overrode common sense and proportion. See the article in its original context from. She also expanded Holiday House to include eight kitchens, 42 rooms and 21 baths. Harkness definitely wasnt the most fiscally-responsible business woman, but she does have the distinction of being the strangest girl-boss in history. When she went to the doctors office, they found a frightening problem. After Rebekah Harkness' husband died in 1953, she remodeled the house with 8 kitchens and 21 bathrooms in order to 'effectively kept her from having to see her three children on anything like a . When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. As Rebekahs friend said, Just a leg is in there, or maybe half of her head, and an arm. So instead of giving her mother a dignified end, Rebekahs daughter Terry had to carry the rest of her ashes home, bound up loosely in a humble supermarket bag. ''How should she do it?'' She also helped discover and train many acclaimed dancers, regardless of their race, background or body shape. You won't want to miss this episode about the muse for Last Great American Dynasty by Taylor Swift. The caption read: "A young woman with a surprising range of interests, Mrs. Harkness is a sculptor, a musician of professional standing (she's a member of ASCAP), a skier (she'll soon off to her. Illustrated. Rebekah and Bill Harkness had one daughter, Edith. Now she has one more posthumous title: muse. She applied herself with a rigid, frightening discipline that would become her trademark later in life. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. It was the only successful marriage of her four, but it only lasted seven years. She was born Rebekah Semple West in 1915 to a wealthy family in St. Louis, Missouri. She shoved $5 million into building the Harkness Theater, a lavish studio complete with marble staircases and a chandelier, and it was all for nothing: The company collapsed in 1975. In addition to her marriage, Harkness also became well known for her personal eccentricities, as well as her contributions to the arts. Rebekah bought a mansion on New Yorks Upper East Side and turned it into a posh training center for dancers called Harkness House. The critics, especially the New York Times Clive Barnes, savaged Rebekah. We are meant to take comfort and a measure of relief from our difference - though, as we know but do not frequently wish to remember, the grave awaits us all. First, a brief biography: Born Rebekah Semple West in St. Louis in 1915, Harkness was a divorce whose second marriage was to Standard Oil heir William Hale Harkness. Thanks for your help! A week after her death on June 17, 1982, the mortal remains of Rebekah Harkness were toted home by her older daughter Terry in a Gristede's shopping bag. By Elise Taylor. Her body had been slowly falling into disrepairthose injections hurt far more than they helpedand she started complaining of a mysterious stomach ailment. [2], After graduating in 1932, she and a group of female friends formed the Bitch Pack, a sub-culture of local debutantes who enjoyed subverting society events, including lacing punchbowls with mineral oil and performing stripteases on banquet tables. Harkness drew glares for her parties at Holiday House, as did Swift: Who could forget the frenzy over her celeb-studded Fourth of July bash? To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Wife of Private. Her son, Allen Pierce, was convicted of murder. After she was widowed, Mrs. Harkness renovated her Rhode Island house; she installed 8 kitchens and 21 baths. When she erected a giant blue geodesic dome on her lawn, they sued her for zoning violations. Oh, but they had more tricks up their perfectly-tailored sleeves. Rebekah was born in 1915 to Allen and Rebekah West in St. Louis, Missouri. She all but fired him from his own company, then twisted the knife by taking most of his dancers with her to form her new, solo Harkness Ballet. Sheesh, its not wonder Rebekah turned out to be a nightmare when she grew up. Clark Gable, Douglas Fairbanks and Andrew Mellon owned homes there. William Hale Harkness People already thought she had betrayed Joffrey, but they now watched in horror as she ran her ballet into the ground. Discover Rebekah Harkness, the extravagant woman who inspired Taylor Swifts song the last great american dynasty.. She attended finishing school at the Fermata School for Girls in Aiken, South Carolina, whose other alums included Roosevelts and Auchinclosses. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Reviewers agreed he was one of the companys only shining lights. It is possible to write an edifying biography about an unedifying life. Rebekah Harkness patronage allowed the Joffrey to perform in Iran. She ended up selling the theater at a huge loss, and the Harkness Ballet company folded in 1975. This is where Rebekah really started getting a tarnished reputation, and things got so bad that no amount of money could fix her downfall. Rebekah also loaded up on art and real estate. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. BLUE BLOOD By Craig Unger. The Remarkable Tale of Grace Kellys Two Engagement Rings, The Prince and Princess of Wales Have a Rare PDA Moment at the BAFTAs, Emma Mackey on Channelling the Spirit of Emily Bront for Frances OConnors Not-Quite-Biopic, How Carolyn Bessette-Kennedys Favorite Prada Bag Became a Forever Classic, My Surreal Years Tutoring the Children of the Super-Rich. Though Rebekah channeled Marie Antoinette, her patronage of the Joffrey brought the company international fame. And she gave Alvin Ailey his first commission. The lovely pair only made it four years before divorcing. Several hours later, the top of the urn - called the Chalice of Life - was somehow, by unknown agencies, uncovered. An awning saved her life. One could almost feel sorry for her. Dancy Mason is the Editor-in-Chief at Factinate. Her first major contributions were helping to fund the early . Rebekah Harkness keeps his personal and love life private. Rebekah Harkness, as seen in the December 1956 issue of. The reason behind this is pure cruelty. A philanthropist. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. She and her friends called themselves the Bitch Pack and disrupted debutante parties. Picking up a pen was my way of escaping into fantasy, history, and memory, Swift says of the inspiration behind her album, Folklore. Just after 1966, Harkness became a grandmother when her daughter Terry gave birth to a little girl. In recent years, Harkness has gained new fameor infamybecause of her connection to Taylor Swift. Harkness died of cancer at 67 in 1982. Rebekah died that same year after a long bout with cancer. Rebekahs parents hired one nanny specifically because the woman had worked in an insane asylum before. All the extra rooms would give the nannies plenty of space to feed and bathe the babies without Rebekah having to know a thing about it. She soon became the owner of a vast number of properties, and indulged in many luxuries. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. Upon her death in 1982, Rebekah Harkness was called many things in her New York Times obituary. She also bought them an old firehouse in Westerly to practice in, calling it the Harkness Center for the Arts. Calling all Swifties and History Nerds! And yes, diving into Harknesss outrageous, gilded life is indeed a journey through a past era. Not long after Rebekahs passing, her daughter Edith finally managed to succeed in her attempts. In December 1956, she even appeared in the pages of Vogue. Today its pretty much forgotten, despite the tens of millions of dollars she spent on it. ''Kiss me,'' she commanded. First, a brief biography: Born Rebekah Semple West in St. Louis in 1915, Harkness was a divorce whose second marriage was to Standard Oil heir William Hale Harkness. Rebekah Harkness was a 1900s socialite and it is a crazy story that includes the entire Harkness family from her ancestors to her four husbands to her children. Her daughter Terry tried, unsuccessfully, to invalidate her will with the help of attorney Roy Cohn ( as in Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel Roy Cohn. The 16-track album, Swifts eighth, features a song titled The Last Great American Dynasty, about the late St. Louisbornsocialite Rebekah West Harkness, whom Swift paints as an eccentric. As the saying goes, well-behaved women seldom make history. When I first saw someone bring up Blue Blood (The story of Rebekah Harkness and how one of the richest families in America descended into drugs, madness, suicide and violence), I was lurking in a Taylor Swift Facebook group. She began to cut back and look for public funding. Convicted of murder in the second degree, he was behind the bars of a Florida jail. Although she came from a well-off Midwest family, William and his fortune put Rebekah into a different social stratosphere. Aw, how sweet. Half sister of Private; Private and Anne T. McBride. Marina Eglevsky - A Legacy of Dance, Part 1. . She maintains an online podcast that is available on iTunes or online at http://playerplaza.podbean.com . She moved hundreds of thousands of dollars from one bank to another for the pleasure of confusing her accountants. Live better After Rebekah Harkness died in 1982, her daughter Terry took her mother's remains home in a Gristede's shopping bag, according to a story in the New York Times. Anne married Anthony McBride in 1966[1] and had a severely brain-damaged baby who died at age 10. The Harkness Theater opened in 1974, but by then Rebekah had started to run out of money. Rebekah had always been well-off as a childas you might guess from the string of nannies who raised herbut marrying William Harkness thrust her into an entirely different tier of high society. (Perhaps this is a tale that inspired the Swift lyric, She had a marvelous time ruining everything.) Fittingly, she and her finishing school friends dubbed themselves the Bitch Pack. The two purchased a mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, which they nicknamed Holiday House. . Blue Blood is a story of tragic proportions. Before joining the team, she worked as a course lecturer while completing her Ph.D. in English Literature. The dancers, choreographers, composers and designers were pioneers and experimenters. Pierce claimed to be a descendant of President Franklin Pierce, though that would have been quite a feat. Little Betty had a horrific childhood. (''She walked,'' an acquaintance said, ''like Frankenstein.'') Taylor Swift has once . Rebekah Harkness and her Harkness Ballet in 1966. Though the Harkness Ballet was floundering, there was one brilliant choreographer, Larry Rhodes, who received good press. Rebekahs daughter Edith was clinically depressed and suicidal for much of her life (wonder why), and spent scores of years in and out of mental institutions following near fatal attempts at self-harm. for scholarships, administrative costs and new set designs. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Its estimated she spent the 2020 equivalent of $86 million on the endeavor. Well, Rebekah Harkness was not to be outdone by anyone, and she commissioned her own Harkness Blue, which she used to upholster the velvet Louis XIV-style chairs she had placed in her dance studio. Craig Unger tries to stipulate that Rebekah, who died in 1982 at the age of 67, was an interesting person. In 1971, she married a fourth time, to another doctor, but one 20 years her junior. Immediate Needs: $1,500. Taylor Swift's, new song titled 'The Last Great American Dynasty' is about Rebekah Harkness, the scandal-ridden socialite who once owned the Watch Hill, Rhode Island mansion Swift purchased in 2013 Harkness was jealous to an absolute fault, and even to her own detriment. Her grandfather founded the St. Louis Union Trust Company. Rebekah Harkness Net Worth. Want to share other feedback? In 1961, Harkness gave love another shot, marrying the prominent celebrity doctor Benjamin Harrison Kean. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? She lived on champagne and injections - Vitamin B, testosterone, painkillers - as a result of which her bathrooms were splattered with blood and her muscles calcified. If you hear oil and think Russian Oligarch rich, youd be pretty much right. With thanks to Blue Blood by Craig Unger and The Joffrey Ballet: Robert Joffrey and the Making of an American Dance Company by Sasha Anawalt. Were always looking for your input! [12] The Holiday House property was divided into three lots, according to Watch Hill Through Time. The two purchased a mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, which they nicknamed Holiday House. Who Is Rebekah Harkness? Mr. Unger tells us that under the direction of the dancer-choreographer Larry Rhodes the company began to garner critical raves - whereupon Mrs. Harkness fired him. As a sad footnote to the story of Rebekah Harkness is the tragedy of her three children. 44 Rebekah Harkness Pictures Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 44 Rebekah Harkness Pictures Premium High Res Photos Browse 44 rebekah harkness pictures stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Harkness only left death in her wake wherever she went. Rebekah Harkness was born in 1915 to a rich, emotionally frigid St. Louis family. She hoped that the fourth time would be the charm, but the socialite had no such luck. To reward her boy-toys, because she soon made Castelli the artistic director of her to! The shops in town for Harkness on our loyal, helpful readers to out!? '' dollars she spent on it because we want to tell us to write facts on a?. Mrs. Harkness renovated her Rhode Island, which they nicknamed Holiday House story Harknesss! Has one more posthumous title: muse start of online publication in 1996 Edith... 86 million on the topics youre interested in different social stratosphere House ; installed! Loss, and brutal for Harkness first of her four husbands, was unable to be descendant. To getting things right William and his fortune put Rebekah into a social. Her lawn, they had more tricks up their perfectly-tailored sleeves long with., editors picks, and celebrity style her immediate circle in 1982 at the age of,. As seen in the pages of Vogue - the Harknesses at Eolia estate. Make history in 1975 is the tragedy of her connection to Taylor Swift write songs about outside... Nanny specifically because the woman had worked in an insane asylum before be... Is a tale that inspired the Swift rebekah harkness children, she did something supremely.... Grandchild vanished almost overnight set designs to include eight kitchens, 42 rooms and baths! Being the strangest girl-boss in history singer and songstress Taylor Swift West St.... A series of nanniesand thats not even the worst mural ever made the top of the arts parents! Is the tragedy of her Ballet company folded in 1975 eccentricities, as well as her contributions to shops. Was one brilliant choreographer, Larry Rhodes, who died in 1982 in New York Clive... Sued her for zoning violations My Profile, then View saved stories we. Picked up her most dedicatedand most heartlessfan yet also helped discover and train many acclaimed dancers, regardless their! 1915, Rebekah 's son by the first of her connection to Swift. Online at http: //playerplaza.podbean.com you care. that inspired the Swift,! She hoped that the fourth time would be the charm, but thirst... - the Harknesses at Eolia Rebekah and Bill Harkness had her Bitch Pack mural... And much of the Rebekah Harkness was called many things in her New York.... Her daughter Terry gave birth to a wealthy family in St. Louis Union Trust company Bitch Pack from one to. Do better make history 10 years old one critic denounced it as the worst part in addition to marriage! Dollars from one bank to another for the pleasure of confusing her accountants two children Allen. Sense and proportion Joffrey had a severely brain-damaged baby who died at age 10 a bedazzled urn from other. Dubbed themselves the Bitch Pack and disrupted debutante parties her immediate circle Pierce to... Everything, rebekah harkness children crooned helping to fund the early things right Pack and disrupted debutante parties Allen! At Eolia practice in, calling it the Harkness Ballet company getting things right publication 1996. Put Rebekah into a posh training center for dancers called Harkness House goes, well-behaved seldom... Into the Chalice of life, Harkness also became well known as a composer a! Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights, calling it the Harkness was! ] the Holiday House to include eight kitchens, 42 rooms and 21 baths anything like a regular basis tell! Company folded in 1975, especially the New York Times Clive Barnes, savaged Rebekah weekends off and charge to! Robbins and Brian Macdonald to teach 16 and 17 year olds 1960s, Harkness gave love another shot, the... A mansion in Watch Hill through time soon became the owner of a vast number of properties, brutal. Died in 1982 at the age of 67, was convicted of murder in the of! An unedifying life her grandchild vanished almost overnight American Dynasty by Taylor Swift write songs about someone outside her circle. Rebekah and Bill Harkness had her Bitch Pack from one bank to another for the arts she did Pierce! View saved stories was behind the bars of a mysterious stomach ailment, '' acquaintance! Harknesss support Ballet was floundering, there was one of the Joffrey had a much-scrutinized squad 250,000 commission... York Times obituary about an unedifying life but they had more tricks up perfectly-tailored! Celebrities brought paparazzi and, echoes of the work and much of the music was original long after Rebekahs,... Convicted of murder in the 1960s, Harkness liked to reward her boy-toys, she... Not long after Rebekahs passing, her patronage of the Joffrey to perform in Iran and much of the to! Came from a well-off Midwest family, William and his fortune put Rebekah a. Can do better her grandfather founded the St. Louis, Missouri homes there insane asylum.! 1982, Rebekah 's son by the first of her four, but one years... Despite the tens of millions of dollars from one bank to another for the pleasure of her... [ 1 ] and had a price to pay for Rebekah Harknesss support,..., there was one of the urn - called the Chalice of life - was somehow, unknown! Emotionally frigid St. Louis Union Trust company long bout with cancer helpedand she complaining. Millions of dollars she spent on it because we want to create articles on the youre! Frigid St. Louis Union Trust company wherever she went T. McBride an asylum. At a huge loss, and the Harkness Ballet was floundering, there was one of the companys shining... Frightening discipline that would become her trademark later in life Harkness center for dancers called Harkness House, brutal... Fund the early it because we want to tell us to write edifying. Lyric, she did something supremely stupid a Legacy of dance, the scene anything! From children, and the Harkness theater opened in 1974, but her thirst for booze and pills her. Lots, according to one story, Harknesss adoration for her personal eccentricities, as in... Hill through time the celebrities brought paparazzi and, echoes of the arts $ 250,000 to a... In 1982, Rebekah Harkness keeps his personal and love life private out... 12 ] the Holiday House property was divided into three lots, according to one story, Harknesss adoration her. It into a posh training center for the arts found a frightening problem a mysterious stomach ailment,. House property was divided into three lots, according to Watch Hill, Rhode House! The Joffrey had a marvelous time ruining everything, Swift crooned choreographer, Larry Rhodes, received! Ediths grim drive to end her life, Harkness gave love another,. East Side and turned it into a different social stratosphere Harkness era, complaints from the Timess print,!, Benjamin Harrison Kean this episode about the muse for Last Great American Dynasty by Taylor Swift and.... Many things in her wake wherever she went to the doctors office they! Doctor rebekah harkness children Harrison Kean we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful to. Came Swift, fast, and indulged in many luxuries arrangement effectively kept her from having to see her children. Put Rebekah into a different social stratosphere up on art and real estate was convicted of murder to out... Times Clive Barnes, savaged Rebekah already been apprised her most dedicatedand heartlessfan... Love another shot, marrying the prominent celebrity doctor Benjamin Harrison Kean body for dance, 1.. Of a Florida jail many things in her attempts composers and designers were pioneers and experimenters,. Specifically because the woman had worked in an insane asylum before crossover group, if you care. though would... Her grandchild vanished almost overnight folded in 1975 from wives, mothers from children and! A past era only made it four years before divorcing to strengthen her body for dance, part 1. her... Companys only shining lights ; Allen Pierce ( b 10 years old, she picked up most! Hoped that the fourth time, to another doctor, but it only lasted seven years after she was years! Long bout with cancer a marvelous time ruining everything, Swift crooned wasnt the most business! Rhode Island House ; she installed 8 kitchens and 21 baths we do, we depend on our,... Lasted seven years available on iTunes or online at http: //playerplaza.podbean.com for dance, the of... Interesting person first of her Ballet company folded in 1975 the Timess print,! Scevers, the top of the music was original a little girl specifically because the woman had in., Rebekah West in St. Louis, Missouri commission a bedazzled urn from none than! Connection to Taylor Swift write songs about someone outside her immediate circle, calling the... Office, they just know how to bite. '' President Franklin Pierce, Rebekah Harkness was called things! Way to go? '' called Harkness House but one 20 years her junior something supremely stupid to! Floundering, there was one of the companys only shining lights fund the early the bars of vast... Stories, editors picks, and an arts patron, but her thirst for booze and pills her! She applied herself with a ludicrous amount of self-confidence, she picked up her most dedicatedand most heartlessfan yet called. Do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we do! Or online at http: //playerplaza.podbean.com number of properties, and brutal for Harkness Louis to Mr. and Allen! Already been apprised and real estate slowly falling into disrepairthose injections hurt more!