Adorable Story #69: Janet Auchincloss

Grace, Resilience and Philanthropy

“It’s funny, isn’t it? All the compliments and nice things in the world can be said to you but if you didn’t hear them as a child—or even thought you didn’t hear them—then you just never believe them.”

— Janet Auchincloss

Janet Lee with her first husband, Jack Bouvier approximately around 1930s

Janet Norton Lee Auchincloss (1907-1989), born in New York City to James T. Lee was a prominent socialite and philanthropist. Her first marriage to John Vernou Bouvier III produced two daughters, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill. Following her divorce, Janet married Hugh D. Auchincloss Jr., with whom she had two more children. Janet was deeply involved in various philanthropic efforts, serving as a trustee for the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Spence School, and supporting the Newport Historical Society and the Garden Club of America. Her legacy includes significant contributions to arts, culture, historical preservation, and environmental conservation.

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Early years

Janet Norton Lee Auchincloss (December 3, 1907 – July 22, 1989) was the daughter of James Thomas Aloysius Lee, a successful lawyer and real estate developer, and Margaret A. Merritt, a teacher and homemaker.

Family Fortune 

The Lee’s family fortune was tied primarily to James Lee’s career as real estate developer in New York City.

After graduating from Columbia Law School in 1903, James T. Lee opened his own law practice and one of his strategic moves was purchasing property along the proposed route of the Seventh Avenue Subway, anticipating its construction. This foresight paid off when the subway became a reality in 1910, tripling the value of his original investments in less than 7 years.

By 1908, Lee, along with his partner Charles R. Fleischmann, built the 12-story Peter Stuyvesant apartments at the corner of 98th and Riverside Drive, designed by William L. Rouse.

A recent photo of the the Co-op building at 998 Fifth Avenue, NYC, developed by Shelton Holding Corporation

In 1910, Lee developed 998 Fifth Avenue, a luxury cooperative designed by the prestigious architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, located directly across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

By 1910 onwards, Lee’s career was focused primarily on real estate development, and he was eventually responsible for building more than two hundred residential and commercial buildings in New York City through his company, Shelton Holding Corporation.

Between 1913 and 1920, Lee expanded his portfolio by constructing a series of office buildings near Grand Central Terminal, including the Central Building on 45th Street, the Berkeley Building on 44th Street, and the National Association Building on 43rd Street, all designed by Starrett & van Vleck.

In 1923, he built the Shelton Hotel (now the New York Marriott East Side, photo below) at 49th Street and Lexington Avenue. Designed by Arthur Loomis Harmon, this hotel was the tallest in the world at the time, standing 24 stories high.

When it was completed in 1924, the Hotel Shelton was believed to be the tallest hotel in the world. Designed by Arthur Loomis Harmon, who would be involved in the design of the Empire State Building a few years later, the Hotel Shelton was an immediate sensation. In 1925, the artist Georgia O'Keeffe and her husband, Alfred Stieglitz, moved into the hotel and lived there for twelve years. Their association with the Shelton added to the property's panache and it often featured in O'Keefe's work. The hotel was acquired by Mariott and restored in the 1990s and now operates as the New York Marriott East Side — Photo © theclio.com

In 1928, Lee was elected to the board of the Chase National Bank, a position he held until 1943 when he became president and chairman of the board of the Central Savings Bank.