Electra Waggoner Biggs (November 8, 1912 – April 23, 2001) was a Texas-born heiress, socialite and artist, and owner of a portion of the Waggoner Ranch in Texas. She is widely known for her sculptures of Will Rogers, Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, Bob Hope, Knute Rockne and numerous other prominent subjects.[1][2]
Electra Waggoner Biggs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 8, 1912 |
| Died | April 23, 2001 (aged 88) |
| Resting place | West Hill Cemetery, Sherman, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Sculptor |
| Spouse | 2, including John Biggs |
| Children | Electra, Helen |
| Parent(s) | E. Paul Waggoner Helen Waggoner |
| Relatives | Daniel Waggoner (paternal great-grandfather) William Thomas Waggoner (paternal grandfather) Harlow H. Curtice (brother-in-law) Gene Willingham (son-in-law) |
Both the Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop,[3] and the Buick Electra, were named after Biggs, the latter by her brother-in-law, Harlow H. Curtice, former president of Buick and later president of General Motors.[4]
Early life
editBiggs was born on November 8, 1912, and was named after her aunt, Electra Waggoner,[2] after whom the town of Electra, Texas, is named. Her father, E. Paul Waggoner, was an heir to the Waggoner Ranch in Texas.[4] Her mother Helen was a socialite.[4]
Biggs grew up in a privileged family and attended Miss Wright's Boarding School in Pennsylvania, where she discovered a love of art — later studying sculpture in New York and at the Sorbonne in Paris.[5] Ultimately becoming well-known as a sculptor,[4] a large collection of Biggs' works are featured at the Red River Valley Museum in Vernon, Texas.[6]
Sculpture
editMost of the sculptures Biggs created were busts. They include:[7]
- US President Harry Truman
- US Vice President John Nance Garner
- General (later US President) Dwight Eisenhower
- Sid Richardson
- Victor McLaglen
- William Thomas Waggoner
- Amon Carter Jr.
- Jacqueline Cochran
- Baron Von Wrangle, an Arrow Collar Man
- Will Rogers
- Jimmy Robinson
- Knute Rockne
- Frank Phillips
- Jack Chrysler
- Herbert Marcus
Personal life
editBiggs married Gordon Bowman in 1933, divorcing two years later[5][4] — their wedding was photographed by Edward Steichen.[3] Her second husband, John Biggs, worked for International Paper[4] and together they had two daughters, Helen Biggs Willingham of Vernon, Texas and Electra (Ellie) Biggs Moulder of Jacksonville, Florida.[4][8]
As well as living at the Waggoner Ranch, Biggs maintained a home at 4700 Preston Road in Dallas, designed by locally noted architect Anton Korn.[9]
She died on April 23, 2001.
References
edit- ^ Pam Smith (April 25, 2001). "Will Rogers' statue artist dies at 88". Dailytoreador.com.
- ^ a b "Waggoners History". Archived from the original on 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
- ^ a b Rubin, Dana (July 21, 2017). "The Texas 100: Money Becomes Electra". Texas Monthly.
- ^ a b c d e f g Cartwright, Gary (January 2004). "Showdown at Waggoner Ranch". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ^ a b Gilette, Shannon (2017-07-21). "Electra II: The Legacy of Electra Waggoner Biggs". North Texas Farmer and Ranch Online.
- ^ "Electra Waggoner Biggs". Red River Valley Museum. Archived from the original on 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
- ^ Porter, Roze McCoy, Electra II: Electra Waggoner Biggs, Socialite, Sculptor, Ranch Heiress, Red River Valley Museum, Vernon, Texas, 1995
- ^ "Miss Electra Biggs To Marry in Spring". The New York Times. November 19, 1967. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
- ^ "Anton Korn Design - 4700 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas". Architecturally Significant Homes.