New-York tribune., 1919-04-14
Philanthropist, Leader of
Society and Mother OF
Publisher, Expires at Her
Home in CalifO Orn i a
Gave Much i'm Charities
Endowed Many Libraries
and Schools and Relieved
Poor by Thousand d $.

PLEASANTON, Cal, April 13.-Mrs.
Phoebe Apperson Hearst, widow OF
George Hearst, of California, and
mother of William Randolph Hearst,
the publisher, died at her home here
to- day after an illness of several
weeks. She was seventy-six years old.
Mrs. Hearst was known throughout
the country for her philanthropic work.
Mr.. Hearst was with his mother when
the end came.
Shared Husbands Hardships
Phoebe Apperson Hearst gently
reared, was of those hardy American
pioneers who went into the West of
trackless deserts and dangerous noun
tains, endured hardships and fought
lifes battles until won. She shared the
hardships and adventures of her hus-
band, the late Senator Hearst, who won
millions from mines.
Mrs. Hearst, educated under the care
of governess, gave to the unfortu-
mates in rough mining camps some
thing of her own courage and developed
early the rule of "heip the individual
to help himself" This maxim she took
as her guide in the life of philan-
thropic work to which she devoted her
self. She gave much of her time and
probably millions of her money to
mary Institutions and individuals. She
was patron of the arts. Many Of her
gifts and loans to art institutions are
considered of great value.
Publisher Only Child
Her only child is William Randolph
Hearst, born in San Francisco April
%, 1868, whose career began when he
took over THE San Francisco Exam
iner," which his father bought in 1886.
Mrs. Hearst was nineteen years old
when she was married. Her husband
then was beginning the career that
made him one of the most noted fig
ures in Western financial and mining
circles. She was born December 3, 1912,
on a large farm bordering the Meramec
River, in Franklin County, Mo. Her
ancestors were English and her father
was of the Apperson family that settled
in Culpeper County, Va.
She taught school for time in
Crawford County, Mo-, and then, leav-
ing her home and her many friends in
st. Louis. "went West" with her hus-
Isthmus Of Panama often she rode
with her husband on his trips into the
mountains, following trails or going
where there yet were none. She came
to know the excitement of hold ups,
landslides, runaways and all the Incl
dents Of frontier life. She worked with
her husband and was with him when
he located some Of his richest mines.
Their trips took them into Nevada,
Utah, Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas
Had Brushes With Indians
Brushes with the Indians were not
infrequent in Utah, whose ntans
George Hearst prospected. Here his
wife spent months among the early
Mormon settlers.
With the success of her husband's s
ventures and his election to the United
States Senate Mrs. Hearst moved to
the leaders in the social life CT the
capital, beginning IN 1886. Then fol-
lowed various visits abroad, including
a trip around the world.
She was living in Paris when the
news of the great San Francisco earth
quake and fire of 1906 reached her
She returned to California, and since
then had lived in Pleasanton. near San
Francisco. Her home was filled with
arC treasures plcheu up III all pdtIS or
the world. SO many were there that
a specially constructed storeroom of
reinforced concrete was built to hold
such valuables as Mrs. Hearst had not
lent or given to museums, both in Cali
fornia and the East.
Gave Much to Cherities
Mrs. Hearst probably was best
known for her interest in charitable
and educational work. Her gifts to the
University of California alone were in
excess of $1,000,000. These included
the Hearst Memorial Mining Building,
erected at a cost of 100000, and TWEEN
ty scholarships for women.
She established and maintained kin
dergarten schools in various cities, and
the National Cathedral School for
Girls at Washington was one of her
gifts. She founded a number of IL
braries in mining towns with which
her husband had been associated
Mrs. Hearst also was actively in
teresteti in all manner of organizations
having to do with women and their
welfare. Hundreds of needy individ-
uals and institutions annually were in
receipt of her bounty at the Christmas