Born:
Frank Lloyd Wright: 6/8/1867 in Richland Center, Wisconsin. Birth name: Frank Lincoln Wright. He changed his name after his parents divorced.Catherine Lee (Kitty) Clark Tobin: 3/25/1871 in Nebraska.
Died:
Frank: 4/9/1959 in Phoenix, Arizona (Taliesin West) at the age of 92.Catherine Lee (Kitty): 3/24/1959.
How Frank and Kitty Met:
Frank and Kitty met in 1889 at a social held at his Uncle Jenkin's church.Wedding Date:
Kitty and Frank were married on 6/1/1889 on a rainy day in Chicago, Illinois. She was 17 years old. They honeymooned in Wisconsin. Frank gave Kitty the Oak Park Home as a wedding present.Divorce:
During Frank and Mamah's affair Catherine referred to Mamah as a "vampire" and an "upstart." Catherine would not allow Frank to see his children when Mamah was present.Initially, Catherine believed that Frank was a victim and that he would return to her and his children.
Catherine's hope during 1909-1910 was that through "her love, her lonely vigil and her conviction that all would end happily."
Source: Frank Lloyd Wright: A Biography, page 204.
Later, when she realized that he would not return, Catherine was angry, resentful, and saw herself as being a helpless pawn in a game.
According to Sauk County, Wisconsin records, Kitty didn't give Frank a divorce until 11/13/1922. Their divorce required Frank to pay Kitty alimony.
In June 1930, Kitty married Benjamin Eldridge Page, a widowed, retired, Chicago businesman who was the treasurer of the corporation handling Frank's finances. Kitty and Benjamin divorced in 1937.
Occupations and Interests:
Frank: Notable architect and designer. Frank loved to entertain.Catherine Lee (Kitty): Social worker and artist.
Pictures:
Quotes:
Anne Baxter, Frank's granddaughter: “My grandfather Frank Lloyd Wright wore a red sash on his wedding night. That is glamour!”Source: ThinkExist.com
About their marital difficulties: "That's a dress that Frank designed for her--one of the many difficulties he put her through was designing strange dresses for her to wear."
Source: Trishmorse.com
Frank, about leaving Catherine, 1/1912: "Never have I reflected upon Mrs. Wright in any way or upon her attitude in this at any time -- nor ever will. I took the privilege of acting according to my sense of right no matter what it cost her. ... It is beyond question now that I could never live in the married state as it now exists. ... Mrs. Wright and I only angered and stultified one another. The children were demoralized by that depressing consciousness in the atmosphere."
Source: About Wright: An Album of Recollections by Those Who Knew Frank Lloyd Wright, page 72.
Children:
Although he had difficulty relating to his children, Frank had six children with Catherine.- Frank Lloyd Wright Jr aka Lloyd Wright: Born 3/31/1890 in Oak Park, Illinois. Architect in Los Angeles, California. Died 5/31/1978 in Santa Monica, California. Married once.
- John Lloyd Wright: Born 12/12/1892 in Oak Park, Illinois. Inventor of Lincoln Logs. He died on 12/20/1972 in Del Mar, San Diego, California. Married three times.
- Catherine Dorothy Wright: Born 1/12/1894 in Oak Park, Illinois. Died 1/27/1979. Married once. One of her children was actress Anne Baxter.
- David Samuel Wright: Born 9/26/1895 in Oak Park, Illinois. A businessman. Died 11/1/1997. Married three times.
- Frances Lloyd Wright: Born 9/3/1898 in Oak Park, Illinois. Died 2/11/1959. Married twice.
- Robert Llewellyn Wright: Born 11/5/1903 in Oak Park, Illinois. Lawyer. Died 2/22/1986. Married once.
