Virginia Fair Vanderbilt

Biography

Virginia Fair Vanderbilt was born into the wealth of the Comstock Lode and became a notable society figure through her marriage to William K. Vanderbilt, yet she also cultivated her own identity as a patron of the arts and supporter of charitable causes. Her gracious hospitality and refined taste made her a beloved presence in New York and beyond.

She devoted time and resources to hospitals and women's organizations, believing that privilege entailed responsibility, and she is remembered at Woodlawn Cemetery for the dignity with which she balanced public attention and private generosity.