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Electra Waggoner Biggs
Electra Waggoner Biggs (November 8, 1912 – April 23, 2001) was a Texas-born heiress, socialite and artist, and owner of a portion of the Waggoner Ranch in Texas. She is widely known for her sculptures of Will Rogers, Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, Bob Hope, Knute Rockne and numerous other prominent subjects.[1][2] Both the Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop,[3] and the Buick Electra, were named after Biggs, the latter by her brother-in-law, Harlow H. Curtice, former president of Buick and later president of General Motors.[4] Early lifeBiggs was born on November 8, 1912, and was named after her aunt, Electra Waggoner,[2] after whom the town of Electra, Texas, is named. Her father, E. Paul Waggoner, was an heir to the Waggoner Ranch in Texas.[4] Her mother Helen was a socialite.[4] Biggs grew up in a privileged family and attended Miss Wright's Boarding School in Pennsylvania, where she discovered a love of art — later studying sculpture in New York and at the Sorbonne in Paris.[5] Ultimately becoming well known as a sculptor,[4] a large collection of Biggs' works are featured at the Red River Valley Museum in Vernon, Texas.[6] SculptureMost of the sculptures Biggs created were busts. They include:[7]
Personal lifeBiggs married Gordon Bowman in 1933, divorcing two years later[5][4] — their wedding was photographed by Edward Steichen.[3] Her second husband, John Biggs, worked for International Paper[4] and together they had two daughters, Helen Biggs Willingham of Vernon, Texas and Electra (Ellie) Biggs Moulder of Jacksonville, Florida.[4][8] As well as living at the Waggoner Ranch, Biggs maintained a home at 4700 Preston Road in Dallas, designed by locally noted architect Anton Korn.[9] She died on April 23, 2001. References
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