Montgomery Clift

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(William Brooks Clift)
(William Brooks Clift)
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=William Brooks Clift=
 
=William Brooks Clift=
William Brooks "Bill" Clift was born 18 Dec 1886 in Chattanooga, Hamilton County, [[Tennessee]], the son of [[#Moses Haney Clift|Moses Haney Clift]] by his second wife [[#Florence Virginia Parrot|Florence Virginia Parrot]].  Bill was the youngest child of his father's siblings.  He went to Cornell University, New Jersey in 1908 and served four years as a captain in the infantry while going to college.  In 1910 while they were both at Cornell he met [[#Ethel Blair|Ethel Blair]].  He graduated in 1912 with a degree in engineering, while she stayed on to finish her own degree.  They became engaged during her senior year at Cornell.  They were married in October 1914, and lived firstly in Saltillo, [[Mississippi]] where Bill had a job building dams.  Sunny encouraged Bill to leave engineering and become a banker. By 1917 he had become a bond salesman for National City Company of Chicago, [[Illinois]], and in June of that year, on his WW1 Draft Registration Card, he lists his residence as Nashville, Tennessee.  He had blue eyes, dark brown hair, was of medium height and slender.
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William Brooks "Bill" Clift was born 18 Dec 1886 in Chattanooga, Hamilton County, [[Tennessee]], the son of [[#Moses Haney Clift|Moses Haney Clift]] by his second wife [[#Florence Virginia Parrot|Florence Virginia Parrot]].  Bill was the youngest child of his father's children.  He went to Cornell University, New Jersey in 1908 and served four years as a captain in the infantry while going to college.  In 1910 while they were both at Cornell he met [[#Ethel Blair|Ethel "Sunny" Blair]].  He graduated in 1912 with a degree in engineering, while she stayed on to finish her own degree.  They kept in touch by letters and became engaged during her senior year at Cornell.  Even though Bill's mother Flo disapproved of Ethel, she and Bill were married in October 1914, and lived firstly in Saltillo, [[Mississippi]] where Bill had a job building dams.  Sunny encouraged Bill to leave engineering and become a banker. By 1917 he had become a bond salesman for National City Company of Chicago, [[Illinois]], and in June of that year, on his WW1 Draft Registration Card, he lists his residence as Nashville, Tennessee.  He had blue eyes, dark brown hair, was of medium height and slender.
  
They moved to Omaha, [[Nebraska]] where their first child William Brooks Clift Jr was born 4 Feb 1919 and where William was nominated for the vice-presidency of the Omaha National Bank and the family moved to Omaha, Nebraska where their twins Montgomery and Ethel were born in 1920.  After several hard-scrabble year, in Omaha they lived in a three-story house with stained-glass windows, a maid and a nurse.  When Ethel was pregnant with Brooks, she had to lie immobile for three weeks to save the baby at the end of her pregnancy.  Emma Wilke, then head of nursing, admiring Ethel's strength, then became the private nurse to the Clift family and stayed with the family until Brooks went off to college.
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By 1919, they had moved to Omaha, [[Nebraska]] where their first child William Brooks Clift Jr was born 4 Feb 1919 and where William was nominated for the vice-presidency of the Omaha National Bank.  Eighteen months later, their twins Montgomery and Roberta were also born there in October 1920.  After enduring several hard-scrabble years, in Omaha they lived in a three-story house with stained-glass windows, a maid and a nurse.  When Ethel was pregnant with Brooks, she had to lie immobile for three weeks to save the baby at the end of her pregnancy.  Emma Wilke, then head of nursing, admiring Ethel's strength, then became the private nurse to the Clift family and stayed with the family until Brooks went off to college.
  
 
In 1924, Bill "obtained a more lucrative position as sales manager of Ames Emerich Investment Company" in Chicago.  The family moved to a large house in Highland Park and Bill began making a substanial amount of money.  During this period Sunny's restless nature kept her and the children on the move, traveling to New England, Bermuda, Europe and back to the United States.  Since Bill's occupation kept him traveling to Manhattan often, to the New York Stock Exchange, they also took a house in Yorktown Heights, New York.  In 1926 and 1927, Ethel on her Ships Passenger Lists entries, lists her own residence as Yorktown Heights.
 
In 1924, Bill "obtained a more lucrative position as sales manager of Ames Emerich Investment Company" in Chicago.  The family moved to a large house in Highland Park and Bill began making a substanial amount of money.  During this period Sunny's restless nature kept her and the children on the move, traveling to New England, Bermuda, Europe and back to the United States.  Since Bill's occupation kept him traveling to Manhattan often, to the New York Stock Exchange, they also took a house in Yorktown Heights, New York.  In 1926 and 1927, Ethel on her Ships Passenger Lists entries, lists her own residence as Yorktown Heights.
  
Bill worked long hours to try to provide enough money for the kind of jaunting lifestyle his wife enjoyed for herself and the children, even if it meant not seeing them for months at a time.  Bill was a bit long-suffering, while Ethel and the children spent months in Europe and also in Florida, Bill continued to live and work in New York City.  During this time period, Ethel did not do outside work, but at home her word was law.  Ethel has been described as wearing the pants in the family with Bill deferring to her about anything related to the household or the children.
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Bill worked long hours to try to provide enough money for the kind of jaunting lifestyle his wife enjoyed for herself and the children, even if it meant not seeing them for months at a time.  Bill was a bit long-suffering, while Ethel and the children spent months away, Bill continued to live and work in New York City, never apparently accompanying them.  During this time period, Ethel did not do outside work, but at home her word was law.  Ethel has been described as wearing the pants in the family with Bill deferring to her about anything related to the household or the children.
  
 
The Great Depression now hit the Clift family. Their investments worth nothing, their antiques were auctioned off and they moved from their great house in Highland Park, to a small apartment on West Ninth Street in the Village in New York City.  Sunny took jobs, as a secretary and as a cleaning lady to make ends meet.  At this point, Bill became an insurance-policy salesman.
 
The Great Depression now hit the Clift family. Their investments worth nothing, their antiques were auctioned off and they moved from their great house in Highland Park, to a small apartment on West Ninth Street in the Village in New York City.  Sunny took jobs, as a secretary and as a cleaning lady to make ends meet.  At this point, Bill became an insurance-policy salesman.
  
 
Meanwhile, Sunny's restless foot, made her take the children, alongwith their now-tutor Walter Hayward and go rent a house in Sarasota, Florida for the winter of 1932.  Hayward, knew a man who needed a 12-year-old boy for a part in a local production, and so in March 1933, in Sarasota, Monty made his stage debut.
 
Meanwhile, Sunny's restless foot, made her take the children, alongwith their now-tutor Walter Hayward and go rent a house in Sarasota, Florida for the winter of 1932.  Hayward, knew a man who needed a 12-year-old boy for a part in a local production, and so in March 1933, in Sarasota, Monty made his stage debut.
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Upon their return, Sunny took Monty around to agents and auditions on Broadway which started his stage career.  At some point Bill became a stockbroker and the family lived on Wall Street itself for a short time.
  
 
William Brooks Clift died 24 Feb 1964 of a heart attack, at New York Hospital, New York City, [[New York]].  At the time of his death, he and his wife were living in New York City, while Brooks may have already been living in Atlanta, Georgia (where he was in 1966) and Ethel, the wife of lawyer Robert Campbell McGinnis (1918-95) was then living in Austin, Texas.
 
William Brooks Clift died 24 Feb 1964 of a heart attack, at New York Hospital, New York City, [[New York]].  At the time of his death, he and his wife were living in New York City, while Brooks may have already been living in Atlanta, Georgia (where he was in 1966) and Ethel, the wife of lawyer Robert Campbell McGinnis (1918-95) was then living in Austin, Texas.

Revision as of 07:15, 29 July 2008

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