Robert Joseph Collier (June 17, 1876 – November 9, 1918) was an American publisher and early modern aviator. He was the heir to the publishing company P. F. Collier & Son, which was founded by his father, Peter Fenelon Collier. For a time, he was editor-in-chief of Collier's weekly magazine.
Robert Joseph Collier was born on June 17, 1876 in New York City to Katherine Louise (née Dunue) and Peter Fenelon Collier. His father immigrated to the United States from Ireland and became a successful publisher of Catholic books and pamphlets before establishing Collier's, a weekly magazine, in 1888.
In 1898, Collier joined Collier's as an editor and publisher. Henry Reuterdahl later credited Collier with improving the artistic quality of the illustrations in the magazine, leading them to produce "the most brilliant artistic pages in the history of American weekly journalism."
Upon his father's death in 1909, he became president of the publishing house, which was reincorporated as P. F. Collier & Son. Although he was active in the editorial department, Collier did not become its nominal editor until 1912, when Norman Hapgood resigned over political differences. Hapgood favored Woodrow Wilson in that year's presidential election, while Collier preferred to endorse Theodore Roosevelt.
As the result of the forthright editorial stance Collier took, the magazine was frequently sued for libel. For example, an article on the history of American newspapers by William Irwin claiming, "a thousand dollars would buy indirectly an editorial by Arthur Brisbane," resulted in a $500,000 suit by William Randolph Hearst.
Aviation pioneer
Collier was an aviation enthusiast and a friend of Orville Wright. He served as a director of the Wright Company.
In 1911, he purchased a Wright Model B aircraft and lent it to the United States Army as one of the first military planes in the world. Lieutenant Benjamin Foulois and civilian Wright Company pilot Phil Parmalee used the plane to scout the Mexico–United States border, but they crashed into the Rio Grande. After having the plane repaired, Collier used it to fly Jimmy Hare to film the construction of the Panama Canal.
He also commissioned a plane to flow over the Monmouth County fox hunt in 1911. Collier was known to fly to Freehold, dismount his biplane, and mount a polo pony to lead the fox hunt. In 1913, he commissioned a seaplane in an early attempt to cross the Atlantic.
As a young man, Collier was led a playboy lifestyle and had a number of relationships with prominent women, including showgirl Evelyn Nesbit. He was a political independent and a member of the Catholic Church. He was an enthusiastic polo player, which led to a broken collarbone in 1899 and a torn eye socket in 1906. He stopped playing in 1914, following a severe illness.
Collier was credited for establishing the Lincoln Farm Association, which raised money to purchase Abraham Lincoln's birthplace in Kentucky, which was then donated and later turned into a National Park.
The couple maintained a Manhattan residence at 1067 Fifth Avenue. In 1901, Collier constructed Rest Hill, a summer country estate in Wickatunk, New Jersey, on property he bought from state assemblyman John D. Honce. The estate included a private landing strip, grass tennis courts, a croquet court, stables, and fox hunting hounds. Collier hosted a number of parties and celebrations on the estate, including the town's Decoration Day celebrations and the finish of the annual fox hunt. Today, the estate is Collier High School.
The couple had one son, Robert Jr., who was born prematurely and lived for only two days from April 22–24, 1903.
In August 1914, while at his summer home in Raquette Lake, New York, Collier became critically ill with uremic poisoning from kidney failure. He was rushed to New York City on a private train car while still unconscious.
He died of a heart attack at his dinner table on November 8, 1918, a few hours after arriving home from France, where he was reporting on World War I. However, shortly before his return to New York, General John J. Pershing had personally cancelled his press credentials and ordered him home.
↑"Fast Polo at Cedarhurst", New York Times, July 8, 1899
↑"RJ Collier Badly Hurt in Polo Scrimmage", New York Times, June 10, 1906
↑"Collier-Van Alen Wedding. Much Interest in the Marriage Which Will Take Place at Newport on Saturday"(PDF). New York Times. July 24, 1902. Retrieved August 4, 2009. Interest in the Martin-Oelrichs wedding has been superseded in Newport society by the announcement of the early marriage of Miss Sara Van Alen and Robert J. Collier. The story that came from New York on Tuesday that the Collier-Van Alen wedding was to take place this week set everybody to wondering if it could be true.
↑"Notables Attend the Honce Funeral", Asbury Park Press, November 24, 1915, Page 1
↑Collier Dispersing Sporting Stable, New York Times, January 29, 1914, Page 7
↑"Decoration Day Meet", Asbury Park Press, May 29, 1912, Page 12
