A chronicle of nine decades of American history as lived and influenced by the daughter of breakfast-food magnet C.W. Post.
Collector’s Note
Collectors of American business history, Gilded Age fortunes, Palm Beach society, and women's history seek American Empress as one of the definitive modern biographies of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Richly researched and highly readable, the book chronicles the rise of the Post cereal empire, the creation of General Foods, the history of Mar-a-Lago, and the life of one of America's most influential philanthropists.
American Empress is a biography of Marjorie Merriweather Post, daughter of breakfast-cereal pioneer C. W. Post and one of the most influential businesswomen and philanthropists of the twentieth century.
Born into the fortune created by Postum and Grape-Nuts, Marjorie Post grew up helping with simple tasks in her father's early cereal business before inheriting control of the company at age twenty-seven. Under her leadership, the business expanded dramatically and ultimately became General Foods, one of America's largest food corporations.
Author Nancy Rubin Stuart traces Post's extraordinary life from her Midwestern childhood to her emergence as one of the most recognizable figures in American society. Along the way, readers encounter the worlds of business, diplomacy, politics, philanthropy, and high society that shaped twentieth-century America.
The biography explores Post's four marriages, including those to financier E. F. Hutton and diplomat Joseph E. Davies, as well as her role as a pioneering business executive during an era when few women occupied positions of corporate leadership. The book also examines her lasting contributions to the arts, charitable organizations, and historic preservation.
Historical Note
Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887–1973) inherited the Postum Cereal Company at age twenty-seven following her father's death. Under her leadership, the company expanded dramatically and eventually evolved into General Foods, one of the largest food corporations in the United States.
Post's influence extended well beyond business. She assembled one of America's finest collections of Russian Imperial art, supported numerous cultural institutions, and built several celebrated residences, including Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Her life intersected with many of the major political, social, and economic developments of the twentieth century, making her story a remarkable lens through which to view modern American history.
Among Post's most enduring legacies is Mar-a-Lago, her lavish Palm Beach estate constructed between 1923 and 1927. Designed as both a winter residence and future cultural center, the estate remains one of the most recognizable private properties in America--now owned by Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States.
Illustrated with black-and-white photographs throughout, American Empress provides a fascinating portrait of a woman whose influence extended far beyond her inherited fortune and whose life intersected with many of the defining events and personalities of twentieth-century America.
Near mint condition with original dust jacket. Clean pages, tight binding, and minimal signs of handling. Dust jacket remains bright and attractive. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs throughout. Published by Villard Books in 1995. This copy is from the second printing.
Author Biography
Nancy Rubin Stuart is an award-winning American author, journalist, and historian specializing in biography, women's history, and social history. A graduate of Tufts University with a B.A. in English and Brown University with a Master of Arts in Teaching, she has written extensively about influential women whose lives shaped American culture and politics.
Before focusing on historical biography, Stuart wrote for The New York Times under the byline Nancy Rubin. Her early works explored changing roles for American women and families, while later books turned to historical subjects. Her publications include The New Suburban Woman, The Mother Mirror, Isabella of Castile, and the bestselling American Empress: The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Post.
In recognition of her contributions to literature and historical scholarship, Mount Vernon College (now part of Georgetown University) awarded her an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 1995. Her biographies are noted for combining rigorous research with accessible storytelling, bringing complex historical figures vividly to life.
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