NOTE TO EDITORS: Scanned photos of de Borchgrave and of the book cover, in jpeg and tiff formats, are available by calling the UO Office of Communications, (541) 346-3134.

EUGENE–Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave, co-author of "Villard: The Life and Times of an American Titan," will deliver a free reading from the previously untold story of her great-grandfather Henry Villard, an early benefactor of the University of Oregon, at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 21, on the UO campus.

After the reading in the Browsing Room of the Knight Library, 1501 Kincaid St., she will autograph copies of the 416-page biography, co-written with John Cullen. The book was published in March by Nan A. Talese/Doubleday.

A reviewer for The Economist says Villard’s story "is worth telling and in this biography it is told well." Best-selling author George Plimpton, editor of The Paris Review, describes "Villard" as "a remarkable, illuminating portrait of one of the great figures of New York history."

In economist John Kenneth Galbraith’s opinion, the book is "a spruce, engaging account of the life and services of one of the great public and private figures of our time." Walter B. Wriston, former chairman of Citicorp, says "Alexandra de Borchgrave at last does justice to a forgotten giant of American journalism and finance. …It’s a great addition to the story of America."

"Villard" re-creates the story of Henry Villard, one of the 19th century’s most prominent self-made businessmen whose self-sufficiency and strong will illustrate the classic American story. Transforming himself from a penniless German immigrant when he arrived in New York as a teenager in 1853, Villard became a millionaire powerbroker of the burgeoning railroad and electricity industries during America’s Gilded Age.

Within three years of his arrival, Villard had mastered English and was covering the events of the day, including the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, for the nation’s top newspapers. His eyewitness reports from the front lines of the Civil War earned him the admiration of the newspaper community and of both President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant.

Ever the pioneering risk-taker, Villard set up the first news syndicate in the country. Soon after, he catapulted himself into the presidency of the Northern Pacific Railroad and completed the line from Chicago to Portland in 1883.

It was in 1881 and 1883 while he was Northern Pacific president that Villard contributed money to complete construction of Deady Hall, the University of Oregon’s first structure. The second building on campus, constructed with public funds and named in Villard’s honor, was completed in 1886. Both structures, still in use, are now designated National Historic Landmarks.

When Villard married Fanny Garrison, the only daughter of famed abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, he became a trusted member of an elite group of 19th- and early 20th-century people of power and historical importance such as newspaperman Horace Greeley, major financial figures J.P. Morgan and Jay Gould, and inventor Thomas Edison.

Villard was the toast of New York society until the Panic of 1883 nearly ruined him and forced him to return to Germany for two years. Upon his return, Villard used his enterprising spirit, well-known generosity and extraordinary business acumen to make a comeback and build a second fortune. He became the first president of the Edison General Electric Co. and served as its head until its reorganization in 1893 as the General Electric Co. Villard died in November 1900 at the age of 65.

Daughter of former U.S. Ambassador and Mrs. Henry S. Villard, de Borchgrave is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in political science. A distinguished photographer whose work has appeared on the covers of Newsweek and other international publications, she is married to Arnaud de Borchgrave, now editor-at-large of The Washington Times and, since January 1999, president and CEO of United Press International.

Cullen, the book’s co-author, graduated with a doctoral degree in English literature from the University of Texas. A literary translator, he resides in upstate New York.

For more information on the de Borchgrave reading, contact Lisa Manotti in the Office of the Librarian at the Knight Library, (541) 346-1823.

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