10 Famous Americans Who Almost Boarded The Titanic & 10 Who Did
When the Unsinkable Sinks
When it comes to the Titanic, many high-profile Americans either barely missed the boat or found themselves right in the middle of the drama. You'll find that the passenger list was a "who's who" of the Gilded Age, featuring industrial titans and famous artists who shaped the early twentieth century. With that in mind, here are 10 Americans who got lucky, and 10 who unfortunately didn’t.
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1. Milton S. Hershey
The famous chocolate magnate had actually paid a three-hundred-dollar deposit for a first-class suite but decided to head home early to handle business issues at his factory. You can imagine his shock when he realized that his sudden urge to return to Pennsylvania likely saved his life. Instead of being at sea, he was safely back in the States working on the candy empire we all know today.
unknown (original image); Centpacrr (derivative image) on Wikimedia
2. J.P. Morgan
This legendary banker was originally scheduled to be on the maiden voyage but chose to extend his stay at a French resort to enjoy more mineral baths. He supposedly told a reporter later that "monetary losses are nothing in life, but the loss of life is what counts." His absence from the ship remains one of the most famous "what if" scenarios.
3. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt
Wealthy scion of the Vanderbilt shipping empire cancelled his reservations so late that his name was left on some of the Titanic’s initial passenger manifests. An unnamed relative talked him out of sailing on the maiden voyage, suggesting that it just might be bad luck to travel on such a huge ship for the first time.
Materialscientist on Wikimedia
4. Guglielmo Marconi
The man who practically invented the radio was offered a free passage on the Titanic but opted to take the Lusitania three days earlier because he had urgent paperwork to finish. You’d think the guy responsible for the wireless technology that saved the survivors would have been on the ship, but he preferred the faster pace of a different vessel. He ended up being on the receiving end of the news rather than a victim of the disaster.
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5. Robert W. Chambers
This popular novelist and illustrator was planning to board the ship for a research trip but had a sudden change of plans at the last minute. He stayed behind in Europe to finish a project, which was a decision that definitely worked out in his favor. It's eerie to think that his stories might have ended right there if he’d followed through with his original itinerary.
published by L.C. Page and company, Boston, 1903 on Wikimedia
6. John Mott
World-renowned YMCA leader and future Nobel Peace Prize winner John Mott was offered passage on the Titanic by an agent from the White Star Line. Mr. Mott elected to instead sail on the decidedly more modest SS Lapland. He believed God had intervened to lead him there.
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7. Henry Clay Frick
This steel industry giant had booked a suite but had to cancel because his wife sprained her ankle while they were traveling in Italy. They stayed behind so she could receive proper medical attention and recuperate before making the long trip across the Atlantic. Sometimes a minor injury can be the most fortunate thing to happen to a person.
8. Theodore Dreiser
Author of Sister Carrie had been traveling through Europe and was strongly considering booking a ticket on board the Titanic in order to save time on his journey back home. Fortunately for him, a friend talked him into boarding another ship, which was significantly less expensive. Theodore Dreiser would later recount how news of the sinking impacted his worldview.
9. Edgar Selwyn
Broadway producer Edgar Selwyn was set to have a business meeting on board ship but opted to stay in England and look over plans for a new play he was interested in producing. Money can’t buy happiness. But it can help you afford to stick around and live another day.
10. George Washington Vanderbilt II
George Washington Vanderbilt II had plans to sail on board with his wife but switched their tickets to the sister ship Olympic at the last minute. His valet had already boarded with their bags and is believed to have perished in the freezing water. Just goes to show that the rich can change their minds at the last second, but their servants can't.
Now that we talked about 10 Americans who avoided boarding the ship, here are 10 who weren’t so lucky.
1. John Jacob Astor IV
The wealthiest person aboard, Astor was traveling back from his honeymoon in Egypt and Europe when disaster struck. He helped his pregnant wife into a lifeboat but was denied a spot for himself because of the strict "women and children first" policy that was being followed.
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2. Molly Brown
Born into humble beginnings, this Denver socialite earned her status as an American hero during her time in Lifeboat 6. After the ship had sunk, Molly Brown supposedly stood up and demanded the group row back and check for survivors. After surviving Titanic, she became well known for her work towards helping impoverished people.
Bain News Service; quick cleanup by Adam Cuerden on Wikimedia
3. Benjamin Guggenheim
After learning of the imminent sinking of Titanic, Benjamin Guggenheim reportedly put on his finest clothes and waited to pass like a true gentleman. He sent a message to his wife relayed by a survivor. The message told her that no woman was left behind on the ship because he had behaved like a coward.
4. Isidor Straus
The co-owner of Macy's department store was traveling with his wife, Ida, who refused to leave his side when the lifeboats were being loaded. She reportedly told him that they had lived together for many years and where he went, she would go as well. The couple was last seen sitting together on deck chairs.
Bain News Service, publisher on Wikimedia
5. Dorothy Gibson
A famous silent film actress of the time, she was one of the first people rescued from the sinking ship. She was so impacted by the event that she starred in a movie called Saved from the Titanic just one month later, wearing the same clothes she had on during the actual sinking. It was a very early example of how Hollywood could turn a real-life tragedy into a cinematic production.
6. Archibald Gracie IV
A writer and amateur historian who had traveled aboard Titanic in first class, Gracie survived by clinging to an overturned collapsible boat for hours until the Carpathia arrived. He wrote an account of the sinking based on his first-hand experiences, which serves as one of the best firsthand accounts of the tragedy.
7. Jacques Futrelle
The popular mystery writer was returning to America after a successful trip to London when the ship hit the iceberg. He stayed on the deck to help others and was last seen with John Jacob Astor. His wife survived the tragedy and spent much of her remaining life ensuring that his literary work was never forgotten.
Favorite Players Film Co. on Wikimedia
8. Francis Davis Millet
A well-known American painter and sculptor was on board as he was traveling to Washington D.C. for a meeting of the Commission of Fine Arts. He was a close friend of several presidents and was highly respected in the American art world. His loss was deeply felt by the creative community.
9. Charles Melville Hays
The president of the Grand Trunk Railway was traveling to a business meeting and reportedly predicted that a disaster was coming for the shipping industry because of the focus on speed. He ironically passed away on the very ship that proved his point about the dangers of prioritizing luxury over safety.
Nimbus08~commonswiki on Wikimedia
10. Washington Roebling II
The heir to the company that built the Brooklyn Bridge was a young racing enthusiast who was traveling back from a trip to Europe with his friends. He spent the final moments of the sinking helping women into the boats and was praised by survivors for his calm and helpful demeanor. His bravery showed that the spirit of the great American builders lived on in the next generation.
