(The Place of the Lion is a fantasy novel written by Charl...)
The Place of the Lion is a fantasy novel written by Charles Williams. The book was first published in 1931 by Victor Gollancz. Platonic archetypes begin to manifest themselves outside a small Hertfordshire town, wreaking havoc and drawing to the surface the spiritual strengths and flaws of individual characters. Their focus is the home of Mr Berringer, the leader of a group interested in magical symbolism who falls into a coma after contact with the first archetype unloosed, the lion of the title. Other powers follow this one and cut off the town from the rest of the world that they will inevitably absorb and reshape. Among those overcome and destroyed by the raw powers they encounter are two members of the group, Mr Foster and Miss Wilmot, whose motivation is ultimately selfish. A chance visitor to the group, the academic author Damaris Tighe, narrowly escapes the same fate but is saved at the last moment by her cousin and fiancé, Anthony Durrant. She then sets out to locate Anthony'
Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. was an American businessman who controlled an international mining and metals conglomerate, as well as a major owner in Thoroughbred horse racing, and a candidate in the 1955 New Jersey State Senate Elections.
Background
He was born in New York City, the son of Charles W. Engelhard and Emy Marie CanthalHis father, who emigrated to the United States near the turn of the nineteenth century, invested in several precious metal companies in the early 1900's.
Engelhard was born to a well-to-do German family. His father, who emigrated to the United States near the turn of the nineteenth century, invested in several precious metal companies in the early 1900's. As a result, over the next few decades, the Engelhard fortune grew tremendously and by 1950, when the senior Engelhard died, the family was estimated to be worth between $10 million and $20 million.
Carles Engelhard had an odd sort of relationship with his father, who was autocratic and almost fifty years old when he was born. Unlike most father-son relationships, the relationship was very businesslike and lacked personal affection and warmth.
Education
He attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and graduated from Princeton University in 1939 with a B. A. in history.
Career
Armed with a college education, in 1940 Engelhard went to England to learn the family business. However, he returned home one year later and joined the Army Air Corps. While in the service, he was a bomber pilot and held the rank of captain by the end of World War II.
After his discharge from the service, he resumed his work for his father's company and established a subsidiary in South Africa.
In 1950, after his father died, Engelhard, who had been groomed to run the company, assumed the leadership of the family's precious metal business in Newark, New Jersey. His business empire began to expand rapidly through a series of new domestic and international business and joint venture developments.
For example, in the mid-1950's, while in South Africa, Engelhard met Harry Oppenheimer, a South African businessman with whom he developed a close friendship after discovering that they had a number of similar interests, which ranged from running businesses to racing thoroughbreds.
Together they founded Rand American Investment Company in South Africa, the first of several such arrangements that linked the two international businessmen.
During his travels abroad, Engelhard met Ian Fleming, the British writer and creator of British agent James Bond. Fleming's character, Auric Goldfinger, an international gold entrepreneur in his spy thriller, Goldfinger, was purportedly based on Engelhard. While his businesses were thriving in the United States and abroad, Engelhard developed a keen interest in politics. His wealth enabled him to finance several political campaigns.
In 1953, he backed Robert B. Meyner's successful campaign for governor of New Jersey. Then, in 1955, he himself was the Democratic candidate for Somerset County in the New Jersey senate race.
This political race pitted him against Malcolm S. Forbes, the incumbent Republican candidate and the founder of Forbes magazine, a good friend, neighbor, and former classmate from Princeton. Because of the extreme wealth of both candidates, people called their senate race the "Battle of the Millionaires. " In a hard-fought campaign, Engelhard lost the election by fewer than 360 votes.
But in a sense, his political loss to Forbes was a victory for business. It forced him to devote more time to his intricate business empire. Interestingly enough, a few years later, it was his political rival, Forbes, who recommended Engelhard's appointment to New Jersey's State Planning and Development Council. Engelhard continued to contribute to the state and national Democratic party financially.
In 1957, he lent his support to the reelection of Governor Robert B. Meyner, by then a close friend.
In 1960, he made financial contributions to the Kennedy-Johnson campaign, and in 1964 he contributed heavily to President Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential election campaign. For his support, the Kennedy and Johnson administrations selected Engelhard to represent the government at many international ceremonies.
In 1967, Engelhard Industries merged with Minerals & Chemical Philipp to create a new billion-dollar corporation, Engelhard Minerals & Chemicals (EM & C). Engelhard, who was elected chairman of EM & C, also held financial interests in many international companies through a network of intricate legal and business arrangements.
Besides his business, political, and philanthropic interests, Engelhard acquired a passion for horses.
In the late 1950's, he purchased his first racehorse in South Africa. By 1970, he spent nearly $15 million on horses for his stables. His horses ran at international race tracks throughout Europe and Africa and paid off handsomely.
In fact, several of them won derbies in the United States and abroad.
All told, he owned more than 300 horses and several horse farms and stables in New Jersey and Kentucky. Although he owned many extravagant residences throughout the world, Engelhard called Cragwood, a castle located on a 172-acre estate in Far Hills, New Jersey, his home.
He also spent time at his other residences in Florida, New York, South Africa, England, and Canada, which were opulently decorated with Cozannes, Renoirs, and Monets. When traveling domestically and internationally, Engelhard was often accompanied by a retinue of employees and friends and had a private plane at his disposal. In the twenty years during which he controlled numerous corporations worldwide, Engelhard's wealth grew to more than $250 million.
He lived one of the most illustrious life-styles of any American. Engelhard died at Pamplemousse, his Florida estate in Boca Grande.
Achievements
He also represented the United States at the funeral of Pope John XXIII (1963) and at the coronation of Pope Paul VI (1963). In 1968, political circles speculated that Engelhard was to be nominated for the ambassadorship to France, but such an appointment never materialized. In addition to his political activities, Engelhard was known for his philanthropy to many diverse causes.
Two such examples were his 1968 donation of half a million dollars to Boystown and his 1969 donation of $1. 25 million to Rutgers University's Graduate School of Business in Newark.
This donation sparked a protest by blacks who believed that the Engelhard fortune and mining investments in South Africa had been made at the expense of black South Africans.
Engelhard also participated in community and business affairs through his appointments to public and private boards, such as the Newark Museum, Seton Hall University, the Prudential Insurance Company, Public Service Electric & Gas, and the Port Authority of New York. Over the years, Engelhard, the international entrepreneurial business mogul, acquired several companies, and at one time was chairperson of six corporations.
Charles Engelhard was a major contributor to the United States Democratic Party and in the 1960 presidential election organized the National Committee of Business and Professional Men and Women for Kennedy and Johnson.
This political race pitted him against Malcolm S. Forbes, the incumbent Republican candidate and the founder of Forbes magazine, a good friend, neighbor, and former classmate from Princeton.
He was an international entrepreneur, a philanthropist, a major financial contributor to the Democratic party, and a socialite and jetsetter whose own parties were the talk of the town, domestically and internationally.
Membership
He was a member of the American delegations to Gabon (1961), Algeria (1963), and Zambia (1964), and he was a member of Johnson's Special East-West Trade Committee (1965).
Connections
On August 18, 1947, he married Jane Reis-Brian, the widow of a Dutch banker. They had five children.
Father:
Charles W. Engelhard
mother
Emy Marie Canthal
Wife:
Jane Reis-Brian
Friend:
Ian Fleming
During his travels abroad, Engelhard met Ian Fleming, the British writer and creator of British agent James Bond.
Friend:
Harry Oppenheimer
For example, in the mid-1950's, while in South Africa, Engelhard met Harry Oppenheimer, a South African businessman with whom he developed a close friendship
Friend:
Robert B. Meyner
In 1957, he lent his support to the reelection of Governor Robert B. Meyner, by then a close friend.
His best known South African horse was Hawaii who won a number of important races in that country until being brought to compete in the U.S. in 1969 where he won several Grade 1 stakes and was voted the 1969 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Male Turf Horse.
His best known South African horse was Hawaii who won a number of important races in that country until being brought to compete in the U.S. in 1969 where he won several Grade 1 stakes and was voted the 1969 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Male Turf Horse.
