Helen Morgan Hamilton Explained

Office:	Deputy Director of the Women's Army Corps
Term:	1945 – 1947
Predecessor:	Westray Boyce
Birth Date:	June 12, 1896
Birth Place:	Ramapo, New York, U.S.
Death Place:	Mystic, Connecticut, U.S.
Spouse:
Parents:	William Pierson Hamilton Juliet Pierpont Morgan
Children:	4
Relations:	See Hamilton and Morgan family
Allegiance:	United States
Rank:	Lieutenant colonel
Awards:	Legion of Merit Army Commendation Medal

Helen Morgan Hamilton (June 12, 1896 – January 25, 1985) was an Army Officer, serving as deputy director of and ultimately achieving the rank of Lieutenant colonel of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps. She is also the granddaughter of investment banker J.P. Morgan and a descendant of U.S. Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.

Early life

Hamilton was born in Ramapo, New York,^[1] the eldest child of William Pierson Hamilton (1869–1950) and Juliet Pierpont Morgan (1870–1952). Her siblings included Pierpont Morgan Hamilton (1898–1982),^[2] Laurens Morgan Hamilton (1900–1978), Alexander Morgan Hamilton (1903–1970), and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (1908–1919).^[3] She grew up at the family's estate "Table Rock" in Sloatsburg, New York.^{[3] [4]}

Her paternal grandfather was William Gaston Hamilton (1832–1913), a consulting engineer of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company who was the son of John Church Hamilton (1792−1882)^[5] and grandson of the first Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton. Her maternal grandparents were Fanny (née Tracy) Morgan (1842–1924) and John Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913).^[6]

Career

In the late 1930s, Helen was involved with the historic preservation of colonial Williamsburg, Virginia and was a founding trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1953. She served as president of the Foundation for the Preservation of Historic Georgetown, and a fellow of the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York.

During World War II, after the death of her first husband, she entered the United States Army and was active in the formation of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps,^[7] serving as deputy director, achieving the rank of Lieutenant colonel.^[8] In 1947, she was appointed consultant to Robert P. Patterson, U.S. Secretary of War, in connection with the proposed universal military training program. In this role, she advised Lt. Gen. Raymond S. McLain on matters pertaining to parents' interests in the proposed program.^[9]

In 1949, she became director of the public liaison of the Economic Cooperation Administration, which administered the Marshall Plan. She served in that post for two years until she then completed a survey for the Fund for Adult Education for the Ford Foundation.

In 1953, Helen helped Hamilton College place her great-great-grandfather Alexander Hamilton's desk, on which he wrote his part of The Federalist Papers, on permanent exhibition. She was introduced by the college's president, Robert Ward McEwen, who noted that the college awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree to Hamilton's son in 1861 and grandson, Dr. Allan McLane Hamilton, in 1912, who had gifted the desk to the college.^[10]

In 1959, she served on the United States Committee for the Atlantic Congress.

Personal life

On June 10, 1916, Hamilton married Arthur Hale Woods (1870–1942), who was the New York City Police Commissioner.^{[11] [6]} They moved to Washington when Woods served in the War Department.^[12] Before Woods's death in 1942,^[13] Hamilton had four children:

• John Pierpont Woods (1918–2012), who married Claire Warren Streeter (1920–2006),^[14] daughter of Edward Streeter, in 1947.^[15] They divorced in 1953,^[16] and in 1954,^[17] he married Joan Holden, daughter of Hale Holden Jr. of Pittsfield, Massachusetts.^{[18] [19]}
• Leonard Hamilton Woods, who married Anina Paepcke, the daughter of Walter Paepcke and Elizabeth Nitze (the sister of Paul Nitze) of Chicago, in 1948.^{[20] [21]} They divorced and in 1963, she married Ian Morgan Hamilton (1923–2010), Leonard's first cousin through his uncle, Pierpont Morgan Hamilton.^{[22] [23]}
• Alexander Hamilton Woods
• Carolie Frances Woods (1927–2008), who married Valentine Hollingsworth, Jr., in 1948.^{[24] [25]} She later married Marshall Hays Noble (1923–2002).^{[26] [27]}

On March 5, 1955, Hamilton married the banker and diplomat Warren Randolph Burgess (1889–1978),^{[28] [29] [30]} who was serving as the Undersecretary of the Treasury for Monetary Affairs in the Eisenhower administration and later was the Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.^[31] They remained married until his death in 1978.^[32]

Helen died of cardiac arrest at the age of 88 on January 25, 1985, in Mystic, Connecticut.^{[33] [34] [35]}

Residence

In 1915, Hamilton purchased the Georgetown home of Robert Todd Lincoln and lived there until 1984.^[36]

References

Notes

Sources

Notes and References

1. Web site: Arthur Woods. davidleas.com. 18 May 2017.
2. News: MISS BLAIR, BRIDE OF P.M. HAMILTON; Youngest Daughter of C. Ledyard Blair Weds Grandson of Late J. Pierpont Morgan. NUPTIAL IN BERNARDSVILLE Bishop Rhinelander Officiates in St.John's Chapel-on-the-Mountain--Reception at Blairsden.. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 12 September 1919.
3. Web site: Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate. ssmi-us.org. Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate. 18 May 2017. en.
4. Book: Reynolds. Cuyler. Genealogical and Family History of Southern New York and the Hudson River Valley: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Building of a Nation. 1914. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. 1390. 18 May 2017. en.
5. News: The Death List of a Day. John Church Hamilton. . . July 26, 1882 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180612165913/https://www.nytimes.com/1882/07/26/archives/the-death-list-of-a-day-john-church-hamilton.html#page/n7/mode/1up . June 12, 2018 . July 26, 2018 .
6. News: MISS HAMILTON'S WEDDING.; Plans for Ceremony with Police Commissioner Woods on June 10.. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. June 3, 1916. en.
7. Book: Treadwell. Mattie E.. UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II Special Studies THE WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS. 1991. Center of Military History United States Army. Washington, D.C.. 18 May 2017. 18 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171018111658/http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/Wac/. dead.
8. News: Times. Special To The New York. Col. Woods Second in the Wac. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 7 September 1945.
9. News: Times. Special To The New York. MRS. WOODS IN WAR POST; Former Wac Officer Will Advise on Universal Training Plan. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 6 February 1947.
10. News: HAMILTON'S DESK SHOWN; Great - Great - Granddaughter Helps in College Ceremony. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. December 18, 1953. en.
11. News: ARTHUR WOOODS WILL WED KIN OF MORGAN; Police Commissioner Engaged to Miss H. M. Hamilton, Granddaughter of Late Financier. ACTIVE IN CHARITY WORK Debutante of Last Winter Is Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm, Pierson Hamilton -- Mr. Woods' Career.. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 18 March 1916.
12. Book: Social Register, Summer. 1920. Social Register Association. 18 May 2017. en.
13. News: Arthur Woods, 72, Is Dead In Capital. Police Commissioner Here in 1914 to '18 Introduced New Methods of Enforcement. Air Colonel With The A.E.F.; Sociologist, Former Reporter, Taught Roosevelt at Groton. Wed Late J.P. Morgan Kin . . 13 May 1942 . 2016-01-09 .
14. Web site: Claire Wood. legacy.com. The Berkshire Eagle. 18 May 2017. 3 January 2006.
15. News: J. P. WOODS TO WED CLARE W. STREETER; Son of Police Ex-Commissioner, Kin of Morgans and Hamilton, to Marry Smith Alumna. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 17 March 1947.
16. News: Times. Special To The New York. Mrs. J. P. Woods Wins Divorce. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 21 July 1953.
17. News: Times. Special To The New York. MISS JOAN HOLDEN A BRIDE IN CHAPEL; Wed to John Pierpont Woods, Naval Air Arm Veteran, at Christ Church, Methodist. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 11 April 1954.
18. News: Times. Special To The New York. MISS JOAN HOLDEN BECOMES ENGAGED Hall-School Graduate Will Be Wed to John P. Woods, Son of Late Police Commissioner. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 15 January 1954.
19. News: Times. Special To The New York. Daughter to Mrs. John Woods. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 29 January 1955.
20. News: Times. Special to The New York. COLORADO WEDDING FOR ANINA PAEPCKE She ls Bride in Sedalia Church of Leonard Woods, Son of Former Police Head Here. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 19 September 1948.
21. News: Times. Special To The New York. WALTER PAEPCKE, ART PATRON, DIES; Developer of Aspen, Colo., as Cultural Center Was Head of Container Corporation. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 14 April 1960.
22. News: Mrs. Paepcke Woods Becomes Bride of Ian Morgan Hamilton (January 27, 1963). 18 May 2017. Chicago Tribune. January 27, 1963.
23. News: Paid Notice: Deaths HAMILTON, IAN MORGAN. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 23 November 2010.
24. News: Times. Special To The New York. TROTH ANNOUNCED OF CAROLIE WOODS; Member of Noted Family the Fiancee of Lieut. Valentine Hollingsworth Jr., USMC. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 28 May 1948.
25. News: Times. Special to The New York. CAROLIE F. WOODS GEORGETOWN BRIDE Daughter of Ex-Commissioner of Police in New York Wed to Valentine Hollingsworth Jr.. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 3 October 1948.
26. News: Paid Notice: Deaths NOBLE, CAROLIE WOODS. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 17 November 2008.
27. News: Paid Notice: Deaths NOBLE, MARSHALL HAYS. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 11 January 2002.
28. News: Times. Special To The New York. W. Randolph Burgess, Treasury Of fleet, Will Many Mrs. Arthur Woods M. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 22 February 1955.
29. News: MONEY SITUATION GOOD DR. BURGESS DECLARES; Federal Reserve Official Talks to Credit Men--Circulation Down $150,000,000.. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 18 March 1930.
30. News: Burgess on Advisory Council. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 4 January 1947.
31. News: Blair. W. Granger. PRESIDENT GIVES NATO ASSURANCE; Stresses U.S. Support for Alliance in a Speech on Visit to Headquarters. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 4 September 1959.
32. News: Times. Special To The New York. OBITUARIES Eisenhower Administration Official. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 6 November 1978.
33. News: Helen H. Burgess Dies at 88; Historic Preservation Leader. 18 May 2017. The New York Times. 28 January 1985.
34. News: Helen Hamilton Burgess, the great-great-granddaughter of American revolutionary Alexander.... 18 May 2017. UPI. January 26, 1985. en.
35. News: Helen Burgess, Was WAC Aide During WW II. 18 May 2017. The Washington Post. 28 January 1985.
36. News: Orton. Kathy. A Georgetown home for $8.995M. 18 May 2017. The Washington Post. 27 July 2012.