Robert Livingston Gerry Sr. (May 31, 1877 – October 31, 1957) was an American businessman and owner of thoroughbred racehorses.
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Early life
Gerry was born on May 31, 1877, and was the son of Louisa Matilda Livingston (1836–1920) and Elbridge Thomas Gerry (1837–1927), founder of New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. His younger brother was Peter G. Gerry (1879–1957), a U.S. Senator. He was the grandson of Thomas Russell Gerry, the great-grandson of Elbridge Gerry, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the 5th Vice President of the United States of America, and the great-great-great-grandson of Francis Lewis, also a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
His mother was the granddaughter of Maturin Livingston (1769–1847) and Margaret Lewis (1780–1860). Margaret was the only child and sole heiress of Gov. Morgan Lewis (1754–1844), the governor of New York.
Robert attended Cutler's School in New York City and graduated from Harvard University in 1900.
Career
Gerry was the owner of the Aknusti Estate in the Catskill Mountains of New York, adjoining his family's estate at Lake Delaware, New York. The Aknusti manor house was designed by architectural firm of Walker & Gillette with landscaping by the famed Olmsted Brothers firm.
Gerry served as a director of The Farmers Loan and Trust Company, a predecessor firm of Citigroup and kept his office at 258 Broadway in Manhattan.
Thoroughbred horse racing
He was a successful thoroughbred horse owner & breeder and a member of The Jockey Club. It has been published that he was the underbidder for Man o' War, at the auction won by Samuel D. Riddle at the Saratoga yearling sale in 1918. He bred and raced Thoroughbred horses under the name Aknusti Stable. Some of his racing successes include:
He privately printed in 1931 at his own cost a detailed book on thoroughbred racehorses titled The Matriarchy of the American Turf for which he wrote the foreword. The book was authored by Marguerite F. Bayliss.
His daughter-in-law, Martha, was also involved in thoroughbred racing and was the owner of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Forego. Martha Gerry was one of only five people ever named an Exemplar of Racing by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Personal life
On March 3, 1908, he married Cornelia Averell Harriman (1884–1966) at Grace Church at 802 Broadway in New York City. Cornelia was the second daughter of railroad executive E. H. Harriman and his wife Mary Williamson Averell. Cornelia was the sister of W. Averell Harriman the New York Governor, E. Roland Harriman, and Mary Harriman, founder of the Junior League. They lived at the Aknusti Estate in Delhi, New York and at 69 East Seventy Ninth Street in New York City. Together Cornelia and Robert had:
Elbridge T. Gerry Sr. (1908–1999), who married Marjorie Kane, in 1932. He became a nine-goal polo player and was involved with standardbred horses. He was elected to the Polo Hall of Fame and the Harness Racing Hall of Fame.
Robert L. Gerry Jr. (1911–1979), who married Martha Leighton Kramer (d. 1993)
Edward Harriman Gerry (1914–2003), who married Martha Farish (1918–2007), daughter of Standard Oil president, William Stamps Farish II, in 1939.
Henry Averell Gerry (1914–2000), who married Nancy Whitney (1917–2012), daughter of Richard Whitney, in 1940.
In 1909, he founded the Lake Delaware Boys Camp, a summer camp for underprivileged boys outside of Delhi, NY, that is still in operation today. Gerry died at his home in Delhi, New York, on October 31, 1957, hours after his brother Peter died.
Descendants
Through his second son, Robert, he was the grandfather of Robert L. Gerry III (b. 1937), businessman and oil executive.