George Skakel

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George Skakel
Born(1892-07-16)July 16, 1892
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedOctober 3, 1955(1955-10-03) (aged 63)
near Union City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Burial placeSaint Mary's Cemetery
Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
OccupationBusinessman
Years active1919–1955
EmployerThe Great Lakes Coal & Coke Company
Spouse
Ann Brannack
​
(m. 1917)​
Children
  • Georgeann
  • James III
  • George Jr.
  • Rushton
  • Patricia
  • Ethel
  • Ann
RelativesMichael Skakel (grandson)

George Skakel (/ˈskeɪ.kəl/ SKAY-kel; July 16, 1892 – October 3, 1955) was an American businessman. He founded the Great Lakes Carbon Corporation, part of SGL Carbon, and was the father of Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy.

Early life

Skakel was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 16, 1892. He was a son of businessman James Curtis Skakel and Grace Mary Jordan, who were Protestants of Dutch ancestry.[1][2][3] He had an elder brother William Skakel, a younger sister Margaret Skakel, and a younger brother James Curtis Skakel Jr.[4]

Career

Skakel began his career as a railroad shipping clerk earning $8 a week.[3] While employed by the railroad, he noticed the price volatility of coal fines for coke, which is a byproduct of producing more-in-demand forms of coal. At most times, the coal mining companies were forced to store the coke or pay to have it disposed of in rivers. Skakel came up with an idea to purchase the coke from coal companies. In May 1919, Skakel and two partners put up $1,000 and established The Great Lakes Coal & Coke Company.[4] The company would purchase the coke from coal companies and reprocess it into clean carbon which was used to produce aluminum. By 1929, Skakel had become a multi-millionaire.[5]

The business eventually grew into The Great Lakes Carbon Corporation, which became one of the largest privately held corporations in the United States. After Skakel's death in 1955, his sons George Jr. (who also died in a plane crash, in 1966) and James III took over the business.[6]

Personal life

Skakel married his former secretary Ann Brannack (1892–1955) on November 25, 1917.[4] They had seven children:

On October 3, 1955, George and Ann Skakel were killed when the private plane they were traveling in crashed near Union City, Oklahoma.[22] They are buried at Saint Mary's Cemetery in Greenwich, Connecticut.[23]

References

  1. ^ David, Lester (1971). Ethel: The Story of Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy. World Publishing Company. p. 4.
  2. ^ Sheenan, Susan (November 3, 1969). "Heaven Still Has Pearly Gates, Angels, For Ethel". The Palm Beach Post. p. C-4.
  3. ^ a b Hilty, James (2000). Robert Kennedy: Brother Protector. Temple University Press. p. 54. ISBN 1-439-90519-3.
  4. ^ a b c Oppenheimer, Jerry (1995). The Other Mrs. Kennedy: An Intimate and Revealing Look at the Hidden Life of Ethel Skakel Kennedy. Macmillan. p. 23. ISBN 0-312-95600-2.
  5. ^ Dumas, Timothy (1998). Greentown: Murder and Mystery in Greenwich, America's Wealthiest Community. Arcade Publishing. p. 128. ISBN 1-559-70441-1.
  6. ^ Levitt, Leonard (2004). Conviction: Solving the Moxley Murder: A Reporter and a Detective's Twenty-Year Search for Justice. HarperCollins. pp. 25–26. ISBN 0-060-54430-9.
  7. ^ "MISS SKAKEL IS ENGAGED; Fiancee of John J. Dowdle Jr., a Former Naval Aviator". The New York Times. 9 April 1945. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  8. ^ "A Dynasty Strained". The New York Times. November 19, 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Rites for George Skakel Jr. Wednesday in Greenwich". The New York Times. 26 September 1966. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  10. ^ "GEORGE SKAKEL JR". The New York Times. 25 September 1966. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  11. ^ Press, The Associated (7 January 2003). "Rushton Skakel Is Dead at 79; Father of Killer". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths SKAKEL, RUSHTON WALTER". The New York Times. 5 January 2003. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  13. ^ Fuhrman, Mark (6 January 1999). Murder in Greenwich. Harper Collins. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-06-109692-1. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  14. ^ Dumas, Timothy (13 December 2013). Greentown (cdn): Murder and Mystery in Greenwich, America's Wealthiest Community. Arcade Publishing. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-61145-345-4. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  15. ^ TIMES, Special to THE NEW YORK (9 October 1949). "MISS SKAKEL IS WED TO LUAN PETER CUFFE". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  16. ^ Publishing, Zircon (1973). Who's Who, What's what and where in Ireland. Geoffrey Chapman Publishers. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-225-65887-3. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  17. ^ Times, Special to The New York (7 June 1968). "Survivor of Family Tragedies Ethel Skakel Kennedy". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  18. ^ Lewine, Francine (May 22, 1969). "Ethel - "Most Admired" - Ends Year of Mourning". The Palm Beach Post. p. C-14.
  19. ^ Schlesinger (Jr.), Arthur Meier (1978). Robert Kennedy and His Times. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-618-21928-5. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  20. ^ "A Dynasty Strained". The New York Times. November 19, 2013.
  21. ^ "Ann McCooey Obituary (1933 - 2023) - Greenwich, CT - GreenwichTime". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
  22. ^ "Robert Kennedy's Wife's Parents Die in Plane Crash". The Daily Boston Globe. October 5, 1955. p. 29.
  23. ^ (David 1971, p. 226)

Further reading

Retrieved from "https://mdwiki.org/wiki/George_Skakel"