Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-07-30
Patterson Gift
Proves Surprise
To Red Cross
With Building Plans
Approved, 1t Now Hu.
Dupont Circle House

Decision on the use to be made
BY the Red Cross Of the late Mrs.
Eleanor Medill Patterson's beouest
of her 40-room home on Dupont
Circle probably will await the re-
turn here late in August of John
Clifford Folger. District Chapter
chairman, the Red Cross said today.
No one now available could say
what effect the gift might have on
the chapters plans for a new build
Ing, preliminary negotiations for
which are now being carried on
with the Public Buildings Admins
tration.
Nathaniel c. Wilson, chapter man.
age, said the Red Cross learned of
the bequest only through press &C
counts of Mrs. Patterson's will yes
torday, and had not known pre-
viously that it was to be made.
Folger Returns August %.
He said the organization was
"deeply grateful" to Mrs. Patterson,
who was owner. editor and pub
Usher of the Washington Times
Herald.
Mr.. Folger is expected to return
from the West Coast August %.
The District Red Cross Chapter,
whose activities are now being car
ried out in three different buildings,
is anxious to house itself under one
roof. President Truman last July
signed the bill authorizing erection
of a new building-expected to be
the greatest Red Cross workshop
in the World"-on Government
owned land at Twentieth and E
streets NV.
The present chapter building is
located at 1880 E street NV, and
part of its activities are being car
ried on in space donated by the
Corcoran Gallery of Art, and at
Walsh House, 1920 Massachusetts
avenue NV, both rent free. Dur
ing the war, the chapter operated
its activities in eight different
buildings.
Building to Cost Million.
The new building must cost at
least 100000 under the bill. and
the Red Cross has sufficient funds
1t is contemplated to be three
stories high, with 10000 feet of
office space, and ample room for
storage, parking, garages and a
Canteen.
Attorneys early next week will file
a petition for prooate of Mrs. Pat
terson's will, but they do not expect
to attempt an immediate break
down of the vast estates value 1t
was learned meanwhile.
Louis G.. Caldwell, of the law firm
of Kirkland, Fleming, Green. Mar
tin and Ellis. said an eValuatlon
cannot be made because of the large
amount of real estate to be assessed
and the fact that certain safety
deposit boxes cannot yet be entered.
He estimated the value of the entire
estate at about Sis 100000 The
only estimate to be filed, he said,
will be an overall conservative"
figure.
The will, filed in District Court
yesterday, created a sensation in
the city, when it was disclosed that
the late publisher of the Washing
ton Times Herald had left the paper
to seven of her top executives.
Requests To Be TaX-Free.
The seven newspaper executives
and all other beneficiaries, the vii!
provided, will receive their requests
entirely free from inheritance taxes.
Mrs. Patterson provided specifically
that the money from the estate
should first pay all taxes or liens.
Among the unnamed beneficiaries
are certain friends of mine" as
Mrs. Patterson wrote, to whom,
for "a long time" she had been
giving weekly or monthly annuities.
I In her will the former publisher
directed that any person who was
! receiving the payments within 80
iavS of her death should continue to
get them on the same basis for life.
Times Herald officials said the
names in "the Ladys" records were
one OF her most closely guarded
secrets. The amount of money she
gave away each month is not
known. but Mr.. Caldwell said it
was not excessive.
Mr.. Waldrop said it was we'll
known that for years Mrs. Patter-
son had helped many "old-time
newspaper friends of Mrs. Patterson
and her father"
Granddaughter's Gift Unknown.
To her granddaughter, Ellen
I Pearson Arnold. daughter of Col
: lmnist Drew Pearson, Mrs. Patter-
son left nothing, ''inasmuch as I
have made a substantial gift to her
during my lifetime" the will said
, Times-Herald officials said they
did not know what the gift was but
that it probably would be learned
through the former newspaper
women's papers
One editor, however, said Mrs.
Patterson several years ago had Civ
N her granddaughter a Maryland
home on the Potomac.
When the will first was executed
June 81, 1916, it provided that the
rlmes-Herald should be left to eight
nen The provision, however,
ldoed that all must be in Mrs.
oatterson's employ. at the time of
ier death.
The eighth, c. B. Porter, formerly
VAS treasurer of the newspaper
company but had not held the posi-
ion for more than year, according
o Mr.. Waldrop. Until several weeks
lgo, Mr.. Porter had been employed
o do special jobs? for Mrs. Pat
erson, the editor added. But his
eaving had nothing to do with his
elimination as beneficiary. Mr..
Naldrop declared.
The will showed that in a codicil
Executed in May, 1947, Mrs. Patter-
son revoked all requests to Mr..
Porter.