Gene Vidal - father of Gore Vidal
SMALL-TOWN BOY MAKES LIFE INTERESTING
What do Amelia Earhart, Al Gore, Jackie Kennedy and Gore Vidal have in common? Through complicated permutations of marriages, divorces, affairs, and old-fashioned family relationships, they all interconnect with a young man born 0n the prairie. He was Gene Vidal.
He was born at Madison, South Dakota in 1895, and he led quite a life.
Vidal was a gifted athlete and excelled in multiple sports in high school and college. His exploits gained him entry to West Point where he was elected to a number of football All-American teams. He also participated in the 1920 and 1924 Olympics.
He was drawn to flying and became one of the first members of the Army Air Corps. In 1922 he married Nina Gore, a member of the politically connected Gore families of Tennessee and Oklahoma. That marriage produces Gore Vidal, one of most creative and prolific novelists, playwrights, and screenwriters of the 20th Century.
But life becomes complicated. Nina runs off with Hugh Auchincloss who later marries the mother of Jackie Kennedy. Vidal attempts another marriage but eventually becomes romantically involved with Amelia Earhart. His aeronautical background and social connections lead to several business opportunities including the founding of Eastern Airlines, Northeast Airlines, and TWA.
Author: EVM STAFF on 04/22 2011
COMMENTS
Make A Comment
You are not logged on - your comment will be subject to review by our staff. To avoid this and post comments immediately, log on to your account before posting. No account? create one in 30 seconds! Compose your comment and submit.
(Max 300 characters). CANCEL