| Electra Waggoner Biggs | |
| Birth Date: | November 8, 1912 |
| Resting Place: | West Hill Cemetery, Sherman, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Sculptor |
| Spouse: | 2, including John Biggs |
| Children: | Electra, Helen |
| Parents: | E. Paul Waggoner Helen Waggoner |
| Relatives: | Daniel Waggoner (paternal great-grandfather) William Thomas Waggoner (paternal grandfather) Harlow H. Curtice (brother-in-law) Gene Willingham (son-in-law) |
Electra Waggoner Biggs (November 8, 1912 – April 23, 2001) was a Texas-born heiress, socialite and artist, and owner of a portion of the Waggoner Ranch in Texas. She is widely known for her sculptures of Will Rogers, Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, Bob Hope, Knute Rockne and numerous other prominent subjects.[1] [2]
Both the Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop, and the Buick Electra, were named after Biggs, the latter by her brother-in-law, Harlow H. Curtice, former president of Buick and later president of General Motors.
Biggs was born on November 8, 1912, and was named after her aunt, Electra Waggoner,[2] after whom the town of Electra, Texas, is named. Her father, E. Paul Waggoner, was an heir to the Waggoner Ranch in Texas.[3] Her mother Helen was a socialite.[3]
Biggs grew up in a privileged family and attended Miss Wright's Boarding School in Pennsylvania, where she discovered a love of art - later studying sculpture in New York and at the Sorbonne in Paris.[4] Ultimately becoming well-known as a sculptor,[3] a large collection of Biggs' works are featured at the Red River Valley Museum in Vernon, Texas.[5]
Most of the sculptures Biggs created were busts. They include:[6]
Biggs married Gordon Bowman in 1933, divorcing two years later[4] [3] - their wedding was photographed by Edward Steichen.[7] Her second husband, John Biggs, worked for International Paper[3] and together they had two daughters, Helen Biggs Willingham of Vernon, Texas and Electra (Ellie) Biggs Moulder of Jacksonville, Florida.[3] [8]
As well as living at the Waggoner Ranch, Biggs maintained a home at 4700 Preston Road in Dallas, designed by locally noted architect Anton Korn.[9]
She died on April 23, 2001.