Helen Miller Shepard

"Helen Miller Gould" redirects here. For the schooner, see Helen Miller Gould (schooner).

For her niece, the socialite and philanthropist, see Helen Vivien Gould.

Helen Miller Gould Shepard (June 20, 1868 – December 21, 1938) was a prominent American philanthropist and member of the wealthy Gould family.

Helen Miller Gould Shepard
Born	Helen Miller Gould (1868-06-20)June 20, 1868 New York City, US
Died	December 21, 1938(1938-12-21) (aged 70) Roxbury, New York, US
Occupation	Socialite
Spouse	Finley Johnson Shepard ​ ​ (m. 1913)​
Children	3
Parent(s)	Jay Gould Helen Day Miller
Relatives	siblings: George Jay Gould Edwin Gould Sr. Howard Gould Anna Gould Frank Jay Gould

Early Life and Family

Born in Manhattan, New York City, as Helen Miller Gould, she was the firstborn daughter and one of six children of railroad tycoon Jay Gould and Helen Day Miller (1838–1889).^[1] Her sister Anna Gould would become another prominent heiress.^[2] Helen spent much of her childhood between Manhattan and Lyndhurst, the family summer estate in Tarrytown, New York. After her father's death in 1892, she found herself the caretaker of the youngest siblings and the estate, formally purchasing Lyndhurst in 1899.^[3]

A champion of women's equality from a young age, and in order to be able to manage her own finances,^[3] she graduated from New York University School of Law in 1895.^[4] She married railroad executive Finley Johnson Shepard (1867–1942) "for love" at the age of 45.^[5] The marriage took place on January 22, 1913.^[6][7][8]

They adopted three children and had one foster child, Louis Seton. The adopted children were:

• Finley Jay (named for Finley Johnson Shepard and Jay Gould), a three-year-old abandoned child who was found on the steps of Manhattan's St Patrick's Cathedral in 1914,^[2]
• Olivia Margaret (named for Helen's dear friend Mrs. Russell Sage),
• Helen Anna (named for Helen and her sister, Anna).

Helen had also cared for her brother Frank Gould's twin daughters, Helen Margaret and Dorothy (b. 1904) by his first wife, Helen Kelly.^[9]

American Bible Society

A member of the American Tract Society, she wrote and printed a variety of religious materials, including tracts, booklets, and leaflets.^[4] In 1918 she and Emma Baker Kennedy (c. 1833–1930) became the first female vice presidents of the American Bible Society.

Philanthropy

At the commencement of the Spanish–American War, she donated US$100,000 to the United States government in support of the war. She gave an additional US$50,000 toward military hospital supplies and was active in the Women's National War Relief Association,^[8] working in a hospital for wounded soldiers in New York City and hosting convalescing soldiers on her Lyndhurst estate.^[10] Her war effort earned her national prominence and praise from the U.S. House of Representatives in the form of a Congressional bill passed in February 1899.^[4]

In memory of her father, she funded the Gould Memorial Library as the central library of New York University's (NYU) Bronx campus^[11] and endowed its Hall of Fame.^[2] It was the first of her numerous donations to the university. She gave additional contributions to Rutgers College. Both the YMCA and the YWCA benefited from her contributions, as well as other organizations. She was a member of the board of the Russell Sage Foundation and of the national board of the YWCA.^[8] Olivia Sage, a leading advocate for women's education, was her close personal friend and mentor.^[12]

For information on philanthropic initiatives associated with the Lyndhurst estate, see Lyndhurst--Role of Helen Miller Gould Shepard.

Golf Course

She purchased Shepard Hills in Roxbury, New York, including Kirkside Lake.^{[citation needed]} The facility originally produced ice for the Roxbury in the winter months and the lake was used for recreation for the community in the summer months. Construction of the 9-hole golf course began around 1916 and upon completion served her estate.^[1]

Death

She died on December 21, 1938, and was buried in the Gould family mausoleum at Woodlawn Cemetery, The Bronx, New York, on December 23, 1938.^[13][14]