American Empress: The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Post

by Nancy Rubin Stuart

AMERICAN EMPRESS is the best-selling history of the dramatic life of heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, daughter of breakfast-cereal magnate C.W. Post, founder of the Postum Cereal Company.<br><br>As a girl growing up in the Midwest, young Marjorie Post helped glue cereal boxes in her father’s barn, later sat on the board of directors of her father’s company, wed several times and by late middle age was widely acknowledged as the “ Queen of Washington, D.C.” because of her friendship with presidents, senators, diplomats and royalty.<br><br>During the nearly nine decades of her life, the beautiful and vastly wealthy Mrs. Post had four husbands – among them, stockbroker, E.F. Hutton and Joseph Davies, ambassador to Soviet Russia under Stalin – built several glittering mansions, including Palm Beach’s legendary Mar-A-Lago and sailed the seven seas on her huge yacht, the Sea Cloud.<br><br>A glamorous and warm-hearted woman who retained her Midwestern twang and fondness for square dancing, Mrs. Post was also mother to actress Dina Merrill. Throughout her life, she gave generously to hundreds of civic and artistic cause, among them the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Ballet, and the Kennedy Center.<br><br>Thanks to her brains, beauty and vast wealth, Mrs. Post was a woman well ahead of her era, whose natural business acumen created the frozen foods industry and helped transform the Postum Cereal Company into the General Foods Corporation.<br><br>A sweeping social history about one of America's most beautiful, wealthy and generous heiresses,the "Duchess of Washington, D.C." and the "Queen of Palm Beach," a friend to the crowned heads of Europe as well as to American presidents, first ladies, senators and diplomats.<br><br>The daughter of breakfast-cereal magnate, C.W. Post, Marjorie Post's story traces her rise from her middle-class Midwestern roots to the pinnacle of America's high society. Along the way she married four times, anonymously gave thousands of dollars to widows, students and soldiers and earned the respect of hundreds of people for her charity, wit and charm.<br><br>About the Author:<br>Nancy Rubin (Stuart) is a best-selling author and journalist who often writes about women and social history. As a journalist her work has appeared in The New York Times, American History Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, Business Week’s Careers and other national publications. Her earlier books include The New Suburban Woman, The Mother Mirror and Isabella of Castile for which she won the 1992 Author of the Year Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Historical, Biography Memoir, Book Club, Memoir

480 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 31, 1995

About the author

Nancy Rubin Stuart is an award-winning author and journalist whose many traditionally published books specialize in women, biography and social history.

Her most recently published book is the acclaimed DEFIANT BRIDES; The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-Era Women Who Married Radical Men, a double biography of the wives of Benedict Arnold and General Henry Knox.This work was a selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club 2 and the History and Military Book Clubs.

She is currently completing a book about Benjamin Franklin’s Women for Beacon Press.

A former journalist, Nancy’s work has appeared in the New York Times, Huffington Post,The New England Quarterly, The Los Angeles Times,The Stamford Advocate, American History , Family Circle , Ladies Home Journal, Parents magazine and other national publications.

She currently serves as Executive Director of the Cape Cod Writers Center in Osterville, Massachusetts.

Earlier books include Nancy’s 2008THE MUSE OF THE REVOLUTION: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren and the Founding of a Nationfor which she received the Historic Winslow House Book Award. That was preceded by the 2005 publication ofTHE RELUCTANT SPIRITUALIST:The Life of Maggie Foxwhich won the American Society of Journalists and Authors’ Outstanding Book Award in Nonfiction.

Under her previous byline, Nancy Rubin, she published the best-selling AMERICAN EMPRESS; The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Postnow in paperback and available as an audio book on Amazon. Earlier books under that byline were ISABELLA OF CASTILE: The First Renaissance Queen, THE MOTHER MIRROR: How a Generation of Women Is Changing Motherhood in America and THE NEW SUBURBAN WOMAN: Beyond Myth and Motherhood .

Honors include a William Randolph Hearst Fellowship from the American Antiquarian Society; three Telly Awards from the cable television industry, the 1992 Author of the Year Award from the American Society of Authors and Journalists, the Washington Irving Award from the Westchester Library System, a Time, Inc. scholarship from the Bread Loaf Writers Conference and a fellowship from the MacDowell Colony.

Nancy has spoken to hundreds of live audiences as well as on national radio and television. In 2019 she appeared in the History Channel’s “The Food That Built America” in connection withAMERICAN EMPRESS.Among her national media appearances are C-Span's BookTV, the A & E Series “Mansions, Monuments and Masterpieces” and “America’s Castles,” Oprah, CBS Morning News and National Public Radio.

She enjoys speaking to book clubs and colleges because it brings her closer to readers in audiences ranging from the Palm Beach Society of the Four Arts to Manhattan's National Arts Club. During the pandemic Nancy continues to reach readers through Zoom and other internet sites.

Nancy is a graduate of Tufts University and Brown University Graduate School, and holds a Doctorate in Humane Letters from Mount Vernon College, now part of Georgetown University.

Born in Boston, she and her husband Bill returned to Massachusetts from Manhattan in 2008 where she enjoys, dancing, gardening, music, and the cultural life of Boston and New York.

Nancy began writing as a child. Her first book was about the family dog. “It’s not published,” she admits, “ but I still have a frayed foolscap copy of that work.”

Reviews

[Ethnea Ferguson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost gave this a 3 - BUT - in 484 pages, the book - which is supposed to be about the first woman to serve on a corporate board of directors and supposedly has a keen business acumen - only mentions one single business decision - (no spoiler)- does not go into any corporate decisions or controversies - never mentions what contributions this supposed "business acumen" made to General Foods - however - does describe in lengthly detail one of her husbands service as ambassador to Russia and his resulting consulting with FDR in pre-World War II. I kept waiting for the author to discuss Marjorie's business accomplishments - but they were not provided. I find it ironic - that great detail is given to her entertaining, philanthropy, wardrobe and art acquisitions - but never discusses this brilliant business woman....I find that omission astounding. We are left with the prospect of a biography of a powerful business woman - in a time when women were not welcome in the corporate world - that leaves us with detailed accounts of her art, wardrobe and decorating choices, but no insight on her as a businesswoman.

[Diem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have recently visited MMP's Washington D.C. mansion, Hillwood. It is now a museum housing her collection of Russian Imperial and French pieces. It was impressive. I left with a curiosity about this woman. That's how I happened to end up reading this.

This was obviously an authorized biography. There isn't much dirt in it and MMP is presented in the most flattering light even in situations that might require a bit more censure. Such as her sanctioning of Stalin's purging of the Communist party. I mean, we can argue about whether or not communism really presented the kind of existential threat that everyone seemed to believe it did but we cannot argue that, even at the time, anyone did not understand that Stalin was murdering innocent people to consolidate his power.

Which brings up another point about the book. There was a lot of stuff about MMP's 3rd husband's work in the USSR for the US State Department. That's great but I was wanting something...fluffier. More details about gowns and jewels and estates and hobnobbing with the beautiful people. I'm entitled to it. I've read stuff.

Overall it was an interesting book but definitely leaned more toward being propaganda than fact. Took a star for that. And a star for the Stalin thing.

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely detailed

This book was so comprehensive that I had to read the novel by Alison Pataki and the story of Birdseye Frozen foods I only wish it included questions for our book club

[Sandya Narayanswami]

My career has had 2 phases, first as a research scientist and second, since 1996, working with private foundations to raise money for research. A colleague at a foundation which I have worked with for the last 20+ years suggested I read this biography of Marjorie Merriweather Post (MMP, 1887-1973) since the foundation’s endowment originated in CW Post’s estate. My colleague’s father was MMP’s financial advisor.

This is a good readable biography of Mrs Post, the daughter of CW Post, who established Postum and built in it into a behemoth of American industry in the early 20th century. An only child, MMP was groomed to understand the business and while she could not be CEO in the 1920s, she was THE major stockholder, immensely wealthy, and involved in its transformation into General Foods Corp. She was by all accounts a very shrewd businesswoman who today would be running the company. The book covers her life in great detail-4 marriages, life as the Ambassadress to the USSR and Luxembourg, the mistress of several enormous houses, and the most admired of Washington DC hostesses. After a while I did get tired of the endless descriptions of clothes, jewelry, big houses, and parties. What I found most interesting was her philanthropy, her liberal outlook, her involvement in the running of Postum and General Foods, her genuine warmth and generosity to those in need.

MMP is invariably described as a great beauty. I found her to be average looking. The very rich are inclined to overrate themselves: a decent looking woman is “a great beauty”, someone who once made a joke “a great wit”. Until the Wall Street crash, MMP lived a life of Gilded Age grandeur. After the crash, while continuing her extraordinary lifestyle, she focused on using her money to benefit society. She proves my contention that a human being can only directly “consume” so much. After buying or building a big house in every city, having your own yacht and plane, collecting masses of art-well, you have to do something more with it all. So as far as I am concerned you may as well tax these vast fortunes from the get-go and turn the money to the benefit of society anyway, because that is what will happen in the end.

MMP built Mar A Lago. It saddened me to read that she very much wanted to leave it to the State of Florida, but the Gov shortsightedly thought it would be too expensive to run. She then discussed making it the Winter White House but these plans also ran aground. Donald Trump bought it. Given her liberal viewpoint, she would have turned in her grave.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. The audible was provided by Lee Howlet for a honest review!

Out of all the promotional audible books I listened to, this book was very favorite for multiple reasons!

1. The narrator personified Marjorie's character. She is optimistic, intelligent, and forward thinking with bad marriages.

2. I loved how the title of the book reflects the reading material. The author focused on her life and her contributions to help the society in time of need (WWII, the great depression, etc)

3. She is a strong character of perseverance! She never gave up on life despite her failed marriages.

4. She was wealthy but also generous in her own way. I loved how she lived her own legacy despite following her father's footsteps.

5. She introduced the culture she lived in and how the cultural values have shifted over time.

This book is a must read, especially the audiobook.

[SM Surber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting life; and a wonderful history lesson.

“Friendship outstays the hurrying flight of years and aye abides through laughter and tears.” - the last tsarina, Alexandra Feodorovna. P331

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but truly sad that with all she did in running such a business and in helping during the wars. This 380 page book focused on her four marriages instead and only discussed her contributions in passing.

[Tammy Mannarino · Rating 5 out of 5]

In honor of a very fun "girl trip" to Hillwood!

[Russell Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always been fascinated by Mar al Lago. And I’ve always been fascinated by the super-rich. So when I saw Nancy Rubin’s American Empress: The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Post, I couldn’t resist. Rubin’s book is exhaustively researched, not just with written accounts but numerous interviews conducted with Post’s daughters, sons-in-law, and friends. Post comes across as an extraordinary person. Heir to the Post Cereals fortune, Marjorie lived like an empress, sparing no expense for her lavish homes, travels, and wardrobe. But she also was quite a giving person. She believed in spreading her wealth. When asked by a daughter if she thought money she might hand to a panhandler would be spent on debauchery, her answer was that she didn’t care. She just knew the person needed it. And that attitude carried over into all of her charitable giving. Whether it was employing what might have been seasonal employees year-round or funding major institutions like symphonies, Marjorie Post gave generously. Sadly, her many marriages all ended in divorce, but she never stopped dreaming that she’d find the perfect match. The book also deals with the planning, building, and furnishing of her beloved Mar al Lago. She had hoped to donate it upon her death to the federal government. That, as we know, did not happen—and the reasons are chronicled in the book—so in the 90s, Donald Trump bought the estate. Since this book was published in the 90s, there is not much further about Trump and Mar al Lago. I would have liked to have known more about that. But this book in all other aspects does not disappoint. Marjorie Merriweather Post was indeed an American empress, and Nancy Rubin makes that quite clear.

[Tracy Hook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may have been more interested than some in the history of M. M. Post due to a personal connection to her yacht which is today Sea Cloud. I didn't know anything at all about her prior to reading the book and was fascinated to learn what it had to offer.

[Sue Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for my book club I am hosting to learn more about Marjorie Post. What a giving, beautiful lady she was.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ended up enjoying this book much more than I thought I would at the start. At first I found the writing dense and much too detailed given the amount of material to be covered. As I learned more about MMP's life, I grew to appreciate the background. I noticed that some reviewers wanted more fluff (jewelry, dish on marriage and family drama) in place of the history and political intrigue, and others are disgusted with the lack of evidence of Marjorie's business exploits. I felt there was a good balance of both the sparkly and substantive here. I thoroughly enjoyed Marjorie's story and highly recommend it. My book club read this and visited Hillwood Museum in DC. The visit really put some of the book's details in perspective and the Russian art and artifacts really left an impression on me.

With all that said, this book really needed an editor. Many of the stories were repeated, and there were typographical and grammatical errors.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

1995. Library Book. 03/15/1887 to 09/12/1973. Marjorie Merriweather Post Close Hutton Davies May. She built Mar-A-Lago. She had 3 daughters; two from Ed Close and 1 from E.F.Hutton. She was Ambssadress to Russia as the world fell into WWII as the wife of Joe Davies, the US Ambassador. He has 3 daughters as well. In the 1960's she was worth $250,000,000. She was a philanthropist, angel to the hurt and hungry, music and ballet, as well as any person of talent wanting to pursue their education in regards to this talent. She threw stunning parties. Why did I never hear of such an amazing woman til now?

[Emily Finkner Sell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prior to reading this, I did not know who MMP was.
Not only was she the heiress to the Post Cereal fortune, she was also a very generous philanthropist.
I gave this book 3 stars because it often veered off topic and dragged on. Also, not much was mentioned about her being the first woman on a board of directors and other accomplishments. I’m glad I read this and I learned quite a bit, but a couple chapters didn’t have to be completely devoted to WWII or her former ambassador of the U.S.S.R. husband.

[Mary Platt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable woman! I read this after I finished reading The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki. She recommends it somewhere towards the end of her book. While some information was repetitive from Ms. Pataki's book it really supplemented Ms. Pataki's book. Since so may years have passed since her death Marjorie Merriweather Post is a somewhat forgotten figure. While her lifestyle isn't necessarliy foreign to our modern society her mannerisms, values and love of protocol are.

[Tracy Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating book the daughter of the man who invested the cereal industry - C.W. Post. Marjorie became one of the wealthiest women in the world & her life is just fascinating. A great read about entrepreneurs, religion, money, politics, home building and power. Very fun. The writing itself was not terrific -but the content was great.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading this for months. It was fascinating at times, but towards the middle/end seemed to drift from interesting to an accounting of the various was she spent her money. It also seemed extremely favorable to Marjorie Merriweather Post--this books suggests she was universal adored and had no flaws.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marjorie Merriweather Post, raised with 19th century mid-western, down-to-earth values, became one of the wealthiest women of the 20th century. The author's exhaustive research and storytelling approach carefully incorporates fine details and anecdotes to keep the reader interested. Marjorie's father, C.W., rose to fame by creating an alternative to coffee, called Postum, which other manufacturers imitated, so he created an imitation to Postum and marketed it as well, and beat them to their game. C.W. was a great father and inspiration for his daughter, and the stories of his influence in Marjorie's life are my favorite excerpts, such as the time when little Marjorie wanted a mole skin coat for her doll, just like her friend's doll had. C.W. taught Marjorie how to bait, trap, and skin the mole and to create and sew a pattern to make the doll's coat herself-a lesson in self-reliance at a young age. Throughout her lifetime Marjorie worked hard, embodied elegance and class, both lived by and defied the mores of her time, became a tycoon, and incorporated philanthropy based on her Christian Science upbringing; its focus on positivity in thoughts, words, and deeds, or "clean living."

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not long ago a gentleman friend gave me this book. I'd enjoyed his evocative notices in a group about Newport, Rhode Island, one of the many places where Marjorie entertained.

Over 30 years ago I'd visited Hillwood with a group of art history enthusiasts, so it was an intriguing gift and I was happy based on his recommendation to learn more about Marjorie.

This spring we met in DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival and some sight seeing. The blossoms were gone due to irregular weather, but Hillwood Estate was ablaze with hundreds of azaleas and thousands of blooming flowers that Marjorie had had planted in her landscape. There's a handsome new two story visitor center / reception area, shop, conference center and outdoor dining facility. All of it is classy, like Marjorie herself. It's a wonderful place to spend the day learning about her life, family and business and to enjoy her gardens and art collection.

Many know of Post cereal and Kellog's spa in Battle Creek, but, not many know more than that. I thoroughly enjoyed Nancy Rubin Stuart's well-researched and entertaining account of Marjorie's fascinating life, and, if you're inclined, I hope you do, too.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I lived in DC, I loved introducing visiting friends to Hillwood for its decorative arts collection and gardens. This book gives insight into the woman who had the means, vision and generosity to share it with us.

Marjorie Merriweather Post (MMP) was a woman who came of age before women in the United States were allowed to vote, sit on company boards or have credit cards in their own name. Yet this didn’t keep her from embracing causes and fundraising when she could help others less fortunate. This included establishing avenues for average Americans to enjoy culture, such as symphonic music, that previously was primarily enjoyed only by the wealthy.

I appreciated learning where MMP got the drive and interest to be a catalyst for change. This book largely credits her father (CW) and the Christian Science teachings as being the main sources of her down-to-earth character and beliefs that evolved during the tumultuous 20th century. Via interviews and extensive research, the author shares the challenges that she faced in her family life and what her boundaries were. Overall, I am glad that I read this biography.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent biography one of of America's most successful businesswomen. American Empress follows the life of Marjorie Merriweather Post, whose fortune derived from her father's founding of Post Cereal. This book details Marjorie's extraordinary eye for art and beauty and we are treated to vivid descriptions of her homes, yachts, jewels, and experiences as an ambassador's wife in the USSR under Stalin. Because she had money and Russia needed cash, she was allowed to scrounge around the warehouses of Faberge for Imperial treasures, including two Faberge eggs. Her home in Washington D.C. is today a museum and her home Mar-A-Lago in Florida is owned by US President Donald Trump. Marjorie had intended for it to be used as a Winter White House after her death. Her dream was realized when Donald Trump became president and hosted several diplomatic events there.

An excellent and fascinating read!

[Christine Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a woman! Marjorie's life began in 1887 and ended in 1973; almost all of those 86 years were filled with adventure, travel and luxury. From her roots in the midwest (Battle Creek, MI), she became an heiress, a consummate hostess and one of the richest women in America. She was also a philanthropist, a board member of General Foods and the first ambassadress to the Soviet Union. She hobnobbed with presidents, politicians, writers, royalty and movie stars (her youngest daughter was Dina Merrill). Her mansions in New York, Washington D.C. and Palm Beach were extravagant; her sailing yacht, the Sea Cloud, was the biggest private yacht in the world in 1931; her private jet, the Merriwether, was a flying living room serving hot meals in flight. She was not as lucky in love, however, being married and divorced four times. My favorite quote from this excellent biography: "Life was conducted with the effervescent immediacy of a newly opened champagne bottle."

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just under 4 stars. This biography is very well written. I was inspired to read it after visiting Hillwood Estate in DC summer of 2021. I have just recently revisited the estate June 2022 and it’s perhaps my favorite site in all of DC, largely because Majorie is such a fascinating woman who was successful, ambitious, generous, and about a century ahead of her time. I love how her estate feels like stepping back into time for a full immersive experience. It is a very dense biography, and so it lagged in several spots for me (there were several background stories with business talk that I wasn’t particularly interested in,) and it did take me awhile to get through. I read this book in bits and pieces, slowly but surely. I hand it to Nancy Rubin for being such a die-hard scholar on Post’s life.

[Dave Cheeney · Rating 2 out of 5]

600 pages of so what....
Was she an interesting woman? Maybe. But for 600 pages I was not able to discover what made her an American icon, except she was born to wealth and used it to party and entertain her very rich friends. If she was a brilliant tycoon there was only a passing reference to her business acumen as owner of General Foods. She used her wealth to help kick start cultural institutions such as the Kennedy Center and the youth program of the National Symphony. My sense was this was a person who could have done great things with her wealth and position but frittered it away square dancing with the elite. So what....

[Renee Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

“American Empress” the biography of Marjorie Merriweather Post is a thorough retelling of her life from childhood to her death. The biography starts by telling about her father C.W. Post and how he came to start the Postum Company. This background shows how Marjorie grew up from a modest upbringing to becoming one of the richest women in the United States. The book tells about her many marriages, lavish parties, extensive travel, many houses, and her time in Russia before WWII. Marjorie used her great wealth and popularity to raise money for many different organizations. If you are interested in learning about this amazing women this is an extensive detailing of her long life.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I had no expectations going in...I pretty much recognized Ms. Post's name, but really didn't know much about her. The fictional book, The Magnificent Lives Of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki is on my TBR list, so I decided to read a non-fiction book about her first, which is how I came to find this book. What a life & seemingly a very generous person. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The author's writing style was good & she kept me interested in Ms. Post's story. This book took me a bit longer than usual to read as I could only find it in regular print...wish there were more large print non-fiction books.

[Scilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book begins in February 1891 when Marjorie Merriweather Post is born, although there is a fair amount about her parents genealogy and activities before the birth of their only child. At many points I was bored, particularly in the early parts of the book. The biography is very complete, and Marjorie certainly led an interesting life with all her marriages. I read the book particularly to find out more about the Sea Cloud, but there wasn't as much as I would have liked. Since I read the book on the Sea Cloud and didn't have internet when I finished, I'm not putting in a lot of detail.

[MichLP · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a comprehensive biography of Marjorie Merriweather Post. If you like details, you’ll love this book. She was an intelligent and astute business woman before women were accepted into the business world. As an heir to the Post Cereal fortune, she managed to grow the business by selecting business ventures that others thought too risky, such as Birdseye freezer foods, especially since the freezer hadn’t been invented. The book offers an interesting historical perspective as the author takes you through the life of Marjorie.

[Rose Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting biography~dragged a little at the beginning, but became increasingly more interesting. I felt like sometimes the author got a little “wordy” in descriptions, but overall i learned much that I didn’t know~particularly about her role as the ambassador to Russia’s wife during the lead up to WW2. WOW was she rich!! But also philanthropic in areas that were important to her. Took a while to muddle through, but I enjoyed it

[Gaili Schoen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story about the heiress to the Post Cereals brand who turned it into the General Foods corporation. Though it was a long biography span from the late 1800s until the 1970s, I was engaged throughout. In the process of learning about Marjorie's life the reader learns much about the cultural and family history of the United States. I recommend reading this book before visiting Marjorie's Hillwood Mansion and Museum in Washington DC.