News and Events

Wednesday, June 8 at 4:00 PM (EST)

An Interview with Nancy Kriplen by her daughter, Madelyn Kriplen Nasser

The Eccentric Billionaire chronicles how MacArthur amassed his fortune, rising from a poverty-saturated childhood as the son of a fire-and-brimstone preacher to become an insurance and real estate mogul. As sole owner of Bankers Life and Casualty, he also built a real estate empire that spanned the continent. Based on interviews with members of the MacArthur family as well as previously undiscovered letters and papers, this book reveals MacArthur's tumultuous private
life, including his quickie divorce from his first wife and his Mexican marriage to Catherine, his brother's cute, clever teenage secretary who would help him on his climb to riches. The author also explores MacArthur's relationships with his family and friends, including his brother, the playwright Charles MacArthur, and sister-in-law, the great actress Helen Hayes. Extensively researched and beautifully written, The Eccentric Billionaire is a revealing look at a man whose
influence has extended in ways he never dreamed.

Nancy Kriplen is a biographer and journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Smithsonian,Bloomberg.com, Discover and other publications. She worked on the editorial staff of TIME in New York and Scripps-Howard's Indianapolis Times. Her biographies include Dwight Davis: The Man and the Cup (about the American tennis legend); J. Irwin Miller: The Shaping of an American Town (Columbus, Indiana); and John D. MacArthur: Empire Builder, Reluctant Philanthropist, Relentless Adversary, the subject of this ESU Happy Hour presentation.

Signature Cocktail

A glass of ruby red glass of port.