The name of the school was not chosen by chance. Astor is a real synonym for success.
The history of the family name Astor is impressive and brought the world a number of brilliant, successful people and undeniable leaders.
The Astors, together with the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts, form the top three most prominent families of the American aristocracy of the XIX–XX centuries. Among them are successful businesspeople, politicians, millionaires, writers, an Olympic champion and an Oscar winner.
John Jacob Astor (1763-1848) – the first multimillionaire in the United States, an industrialist of German origin who owned a fortune of 20 million dollars, which was equal to one per cent of the US GDP and started the Astor clan.
In terms of today, his fortune is equivalent to over $110 billion. He made his fortune mainly from a fur trade monopoly in the Great Lakes region and by smuggling opium.
Astor made a significant contribution to the development of American society. It is not by chance that the names ‘Astor’ and ‘Astoria’ are used by numerous settlements in the USA. In 1810–1812, Astor financed the Lewis and Clark expedition to the mouth of the Columbia River. He founded the trading factory of Astoria on the border with Canada – the first American settlement on the Pacific coast, and commissioned W. Irving to write a biographical book about his enterprises, which was published in 1836.
In his will, Astor bequeathed to build the Astor Library for the New York public, which was later consolidated with other libraries to form the New York Public Library.
John Jacob Astor IV (1864–1912) is the great-grandson of Astor I, a millionaire, businessman, inventor and writer. Among Astor’s accomplishments was A Journey in Other Worlds, a science-fiction novel about life in the year 2000 on the planets Saturn and Jupiter. He also patented several inventions, including a bicycle brake, a pneumatic road-improver, and he helped develop a turbine engine.
Like generations of Astors before him, he also made millions in real estate. In 1897, Astor built the Astoria Hotel, the world’s most luxurious hotel, in New York City, adjoining the Waldorf Hotel owned by Astor’s cousin, William Waldorf Astor. The complex became known as the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. In 1929 the complex was demolished and in its place The Empire State building was erected.
John Jacob Astor V (1886 – 1971) – a proprietor, politician and an Olympic champion.
Astor represented Great Britain in rackets at the 1908 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in the men’s doubles competition and winning bronze in the men’s singles event.
In 1922, he purchased The Times newspaper and became a member of the Parlament for Dover. In 1956 he received the title Baron Astor of Hever.
“William Vincent Astor (1891–1959) – son of John Jacob Astor IV, an American businessman, philanthropist and founder of Newsweek magazine”
Nancy Astor (1879 – 1964) – the first woman seated as a Member of Parliament in Britain.
Mary Astor (1906–1987) – an American actress, Oscar winner and author of five novels.
For several centuries, the Astor name has been strongly associated with success and leadership, with a legacy of professionals who have achieved triumph in a wide variety of industries. On our part, we promise to do everything possible to ensure that the names of our students are worthily engraved in history.