James Gordon Bennett junior

See also: James Gordon Bennett

James Gordon Bennett junior (May 10th 1841 - May 14th 1918), was an editor of impassioned newspaper and one of sports.

Born with New York, the son and homonym of the rich person editor of the New York Herald, Gordon Bennett was informed mainly in France, country where it will pass a good part of its life.

Bennett lived in the same exclusive world as the elite of Newport (Rhode Island), such as Vanderbilts, of the Bridges, and Astors, which posted their richness with luxurious engine and steam yachts, opulent private trains and sumptuous manors. It became youngest commodore yacht-club of New York. However, enthusiastic sailor, Gordon Bennett were useful in the navy during the civil war, then in 1866 gained the first transoceanic race in boat before taking again the businesses of the newspaper of his/her father the following year. Once responsible, it raised the newspaper especially when it provided financial aid in 1869 for the forwarding of the English explorer Henry Morton Stanley in Africa in the search of David Livingstone. The voyage lasted during two years until November 10th 1871, giving to the newspaper of Bennett exclusiveness on information which fascinated readers. The stories of the New York Herald on the Dark Continent were envied of these competitors.

In 1877, a few years after the resumption of the newspaper of his/her father, Gordon Bennett left New York after a scandal which put an end to its engagement with the member of the high-company, Caroline May. The incident is enumerated in the Guinness Book of the records in the category “greater forgery not at the time of engagement”. Bennett arrives late and drunk at a festival at the manor of New York of the family of May, and urinates in the chimney of the living room in front of all the guests.

Being established in a permanent way in France with Paris, it started to publish a newspaper of quality in English who exists always nowadays under the name of International Herald Tribune. From Paris, or on board its 100 meters length luxurious yacht, it directs the operations to New York and after success with Henry Stanley, the newspaper of Bennett supported the voyage of George Washington De Long with the North pole by the Bering Strait. The unfortunate forwarding of 1879 - 1881 leads to the deaths by famine of DeLong and its 19 comrades.

The enthusiasm of Bennett for the sports led it to finance several events in the air of times and strongly popular which made it possible its newspapers to tell the history seen of interior of it and to have exclusive interviews with the participants. After having seen a match of Sports shirt in England, Bennett once turned over to the the United States created the club of sports shirt of Westchester the May 6th 1876, the first of America. Moreover, it created the Coupe Gordon Bennett as a trophy in the international pleasure and in 1900 the automobile Coupe Gordon Bennett for the races of car which will be the precursor of the races of Grand Prix. In 1906, it provided the funds and the trophy for an aeronautical race, the aeronautical Coupe Gordon Bennett , launched in large brass band in the gardens of Tileries to Paris with 16 participating balloons. As it made with its automobile races, the following event will be accommodated by the country of gaining. This race exists always to date and gathers the best aeronauts. Later, Bennett also gave a trophy for the races of plane. Bennett multiplies the " cuts Gordon Bennett" in many sports, and not only for international tests. Thus, between 1896 and 1914, the champion of Paris USFSA in Football receives a trophy offered by Gordon Bennett.

Gordon Bennett scandalized much in the companies of elite of New York, London and Paris with its behavior always blazing and sometimes erratic. It had a horde of women at her disposal, by using them to divert itself, marrying only at the age of soixante-treize years for reasons of businesses with the baroness of Reuter, a girl of Paul Reuter, the founder of the famous agency Reuters.

Gordon Bennett dies in Beaulieu-sur-Mer (the Alpes-Maritimes) the May 14th 1918 and is buried with the Cimetière of Passy to Paris. His/her father, James Gordon Bennett senior (1795 - 1872), had been an editor Glutton for work, which had not built a strong team of management under her autocratic reign. Consequently, the newspaper held one moment, then with the absence of the son, without a strong management from day to day, started to decline. After its death, the New York Herald was amalgamated with its rival, the New York Tribune.

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