Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr.
Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr. | |
|---|---|
Biddle in 1918 | |
| Born | October 1, 1874 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 27, 1948 (aged 73) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Resting place | The Woodlands (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| Spouse | Cordelia Rundell Bradley |
| Children | Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr. (1897–1961) Cordelia Drexel Biddle (1898–1984) Livingston Ludlow Biddle (1899–1981) |
| Parent(s) | Edward Biddle II Emily Drexel |
| Relatives | Anthony Joseph Drexel (grandfather) Nicholas Biddle (great-grandfather) |
Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr. (October 1, 1874 – May 27, 1948) was a millionaire whose fortune allowed him to pursue theatricals, self-published writing, athletics, and Christianity on a full-time basis.
He trained men in hand-to-hand combat in both World Wars, was a fellow of the American Geographical Society and founded a movement called "Athletic Christianity" that eventually attracted 300,000 members around the world. Sports Illustrated called him "boxing's greatest amateur" in 1955, as well as a "major factor in the re-establishment of boxing as a legal and, at that time, estimable sport."
A fictionalized Biddle appears in the 1967 Disney musical film The Happiest Millionaire.