Joseph E. Widener
Joseph Early Widener (August 19, 1871 – October 26, 1943) was an American businessman who became famous for horse racing, art collecting, and philanthropy. Born in Philadelphia to the wealthy Widener family, he inherited a large fortune and helped manage the family estate.
Widener built a career in Thoroughbred racing as an owner and breeder. He bought horses before turning twenty and began competing in flat racing and steeplechase in 1901. He joined the Jockey Club in 1909 and served as a steward and vice-chairman. From 1912 to 1943, his racing stable produced 79 stakes winners, including several champions. He worked with trainer J. Howard Lewis to reach great success in both flat racing and steeplechase, with notable wins such as the Belmont Stakes in multiple years.
In 1923, Widener and his nephew George D. Widener Jr. bought part of Elmendorf Farm in Kentucky, operating their portion under the Elmendorf name. He expanded Belmont Stock by buying important mares and sires from Belmont’s breeding program and built a successful breeding operation there. He bought Fair Play, the sire of Man o’ War, and the notable stallion Chance Shot, who won the 1927 Belmont Stakes. He also erected a life-size statue of Fair Play at Elmendorf.
Widener became president of the Westchester Racing Association in 1924, which owned Belmont Park. In 1930, he brought the English stallion Sickle to the United States; Sickle produced many stakes winners and one of his offspring, Polynesian, was given to Widener’s daughter-in-law as a gift. Widener’s racing team won the Belmont Stakes again in 1933 with Hurryoff and in 1934 with a Chance Shot offspring. He also helped establish a stud farm in France and supported parimutuel betting in New York, which was implemented in 1940.
Widener built a 40,000-square-foot mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, in 1924 and spent many winters there. He bought a controlling interest in the Miami Jockey Club and renovated Hialeah Park in 1931, turning it into one of the world’s most beautiful race tracks. Hialeah Park later earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places. Major races at Hialeah Park included the Widener Handicap and other notable events.
An avid art collector, Widener and his family built a famous collection at Lynnewood Hall in Elkins Park, near Philadelphia. The collection, valued at tens of millions of dollars, included works by Rembrandt, Monet, Raphael, Degas, and many other masters. After his brother died in 1912, Widener managed the collection and opened Lynnewood Hall to the public from June to October each year. In 1939 he donated important manuscripts and works to the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Widener’s most lasting philanthropy was his support of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. He opened the gallery to the public by donating more than 2,000 pieces of art in 1942. His 1921 portrait by Augustus John hangs in the National Gallery of Art today. He is remembered for saying, “Art belongs to those who appreciate it. Others merely own it.”
Widener married Ella Pancoast in 1894, and they had two children: Peter Arrell Browne Widener II and Josephine “Fifi” Widener. They lived at Lynnewood Hall, a grand Georgian mansion designed by Horace Trumbauer and Jacques Gréber. In 1929, Widener hosted Winston Churchill at Lynnewood Hall during his U.S. tour. Widener died at Lynnewood Hall in 1943 and is buried in the Widener family mausoleum at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:28 (CET).