Benjamin Guggenheim

Benjamin Guggenheim (October 26, 1865 – April 15, 1912) was an American businessman who was a member of the Guggenheim family. He was among the most prominent American passengers aboard the British ocean liner and perished along with 1,495 others when the ship sank on her maiden voyage.

Early life and education Benjamin Guggenheim was born October 26, 1865, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the fifth of seven sons, to Meyer Guggenheim, a businessman who later became a mining magnate, and Barbara "Babette" Guggenheim (née Meyer; 1834–1900), both being originally from Lengnau, Aargau, Switzerland, having emigrated to Philadelphia in 1847.

He was of Swiss Jewish descent with his ancestry deeply rooted in the villages of Lengnau and Endingen, Aargau. His paternal grandfather, Simon Meyer Guggenheim (1792–1869), a tailor by trade, wanted to marry for a second time, which was not permitted by Swiss authorities as they ruled the family being too poor. That was the ultimate reason for emigration.

Benjamin was the first member of his family to enter an institute of higher learning-he entered Columbia College in 1882, matriculating with the class of 1887. However, he found most of his courses boring and dropped out after his second year. He also attended the Peirce School of Business (now Peirce College), then one of the most prominent business schools in the country.

Personal life In 1894, Guggenheim married Florette Seligman (1870–1937), daughter of James Seligman, a senior partner in the firm J. & W. Seligman & Co., and Rosa Seligman (née Content). Her family originated in Baiersdorf, Germany. Together, they had three daughters:

Benita Rosalind Guggenheim (1896–1927) Marguerite "Peggy" Guggenheim (1898–1979) Barbara Hazel Guggenheim (1903–1995).

Guggenheim inherited a great deal of money from his mother. Due to business concerns, he grew distant from his wife and was frequently away from their New York City home. He maintained an apartment in Paris, France.

Titanic This article in The New York Times relates a description from an assistant steward of Guggenheim's last hours, including helping other passengers to board lifeboats, donning formal wear instead of a life preserver, and saying that he and his secretary were "prepared to go down like gentlemen". Guggenheim boarded the and was accompanied by his mistress, a French singer named Léontine Aubart (1887–1964); his secretary, Victor Giglio (1888–1912); his chauffeur, René Pernot (1872–1912); and Madame Aubart's maid, Emma Sägesser (1887–1964). His ticket was number 17593 and cost £79 4s (other sources give the price as £56 18s 7d). He and Giglio occupied stateroom cabin B84 while Aubart and Sägesser occupied cabin B35. Pernot occupied an unknown cabin in second class. Etches later testified that Guggenheim and his valet went from lifeboat to lifeboat ensuring the women and children were safely aboard and that the two were of great assistance to the officers.

Guggenheim ultimately realised that the situation was much more serious than he had implied. Sometime after arriving on deck, Etches saw Guggenheim and Giglio; they were dressed in their evening clothes and had taken off their sweaters and lifebelts. Guggenheim explained, "We've dressed up in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen."