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PROLOGUE

WHITE HOUSE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1936

5:00 PM

Franklin Roosevelt hated being in the same room with his infamous visitor, but he appreciated the need for them to talk He’d been president four years, but three weeks frouration, the first held on January 20 Before that the oath had always been taken on March 4, commemorative of the exact day, in 1789, when the Constitution first took effect But the 20th A the time after the November election day Tooa part of change Hated the way anything was once done

And he particularly despised any member of the “old order”

Like his visitor

Andrew Mellon had served ten years and elevenin 1921, then worked for Coolidge before being eased froovernment service with one year as a in 1933 Mellon was a staunch Republican, then and now one of the wealthiestee

“Here, Mr President, is my offer I hope it can be carried out”

Mellon handed over a piece of paper

He’d invited this pariah to afternoon tea because his advisers had cautioned hi

And he’d been kicking Andrew Mellon for three years

It started just after his first inauguration He’d instructed the Bureau of Internal Revenue to audit Mellon’s 1931 tax returns There’d been departmental resistance to his over-exercise of presidential poords to the effect that Internal Revenue should not be used as a political weapon—but his directive had been carried out Mellon had claiovernes of tax evasion were brought, but a grand jury declined to indict Undaunted, Roosevelt ordered the Justice Department to proceed civilly and a trial was held in the Board of Tax Appeals, involving fourteen months of testio

They occupied the Oval Study on the second floor, his favorite spot in the White House to conduct business It had an overcrowded, lived-in look from packed bookcases, ship ed in the hearth He’d abandoned his wheelchair and sat on the sofa, Attorney General Ho Mellon was David Finley, a close associate of the former secretary

He and Cu

It laid out a proposal for the establishment of an art museum, to be located on the National Mall, which Mellon would erect at his own expense The building not only would become a repository for Mellon’s own massive collection, it would also accommodate future acquisitions

To be called the National Gallery of Art

“Not the Andrew W Mellon Gallery?” he asked

“I do not want ”

He appraised his visitor, who sat ra, as if presidents still bowed to his every whim He’d alondered why three would choose the same , a weak and inept fool—and e, who’d finished out the terood sense to die two years into office But in 1924, when Coolidge earned his own four years, why not select a new Treasury secretary? That made sense Every president did Then Hoover repeated theMellon in 1929, only to finally be rid of him three years later

He said, “It states here that the gallery will be ed by a private board of nine trustees, five appointed by you It wasthat this institution would be administered by the Smithsonian”

“It shall be But I want the gallery’s internal operation to be wholly independent of the government, as the Sotiable”

He glanced at his attorney general, who nodded his assent

Mellon’s offer had first beenwould cost between 8 and 9 million Mellon’s own art collection, valued at 20 million, would become its nucleus Other quality works would also be acquired and displayed, the idea being that Washington, DC, ht become one of the principal art capitals of the world Mellon would endow the institution with 5 million, the income from which would be used to pay the salaries of the top adovern maintenance and upkeep There’d been otiations to iron out the details, all leading up to this final gathering Attorney General Cuive-and-take Just as in business, in art Mellon drove a hard bargain

One point was still troublesoh

“You have specified,” he said, “that all of the funds for the building, and for the art, will come from your charitable trust Yet it is this trust that we contend owes the people of this country over 3 million in back taxes”

Mellon’s stone features never flinched “If you want the money, that’s where it is located”

He could t

ell he was being played But that was all right He’d asked for this encounter So—

“I wish to speak to Mr Mellon alone”

He saw that his attorney general did not like the idea but kneas not a request Both Cus and Finley left the room He waited until the door was closed and said, “You do know that I despise you”

“As if I care what you think You’re insignificant”

He chuckled “I’ve been called arrogant Lazy Stupid A nificant I actually take offense to that one I fancy myself to be quite relevant to our current econoht add, you bear so”

Mellon shrugged “If Hoover had listened, the Depression would have been a short one”

It was going on seven years since that fateful Friday in 1929 when one, but the Republicans lingered, still in control of Congress and the Supre dealt one legal blow after another He’d confronted so many obstacles that he’d decided to make peace with his enemies, which included this devil But not before he had his say

“Let me see if I recall As secretary of Treasury you advised Hoover to liquidate labor, stocks, fare all of the rottenness out of the syste to you, people ork harder and live more—how did you put it— individuals will pick up from the less competent”

“That was sound advice”

“Co from a man worth hundreds of millions I could see how you would feel that way I doubt you’d have the sa and out of work, with no hope”

He was actually surprised by Mellon’s physical appearance The face had drawn gaunt, the tall frame even thinner than he recalled The skin was pale as lead, eyes tired and longing Two heavy furrows ran at angles from the nostrils to the corner of the mouth, obscured partially by the tradehty-one years old, but he looked over a hundred One fact was clear, though—this man remained formidable

He plucked a cigarette from the box on the side table and slid it into an ivory holder The sight of its soft tip between his clenched teeth, held at a jaunty forty-five-degree angle, had becon of presidential confidence and optimism God knows the country needed both He lit the end and savored a deep drag, the s ache in his chest

“You do understand that there will be no change in our position relative to the ift will have no affect on that litigation”

“Actually, it will”

Noas curious

“The National Gallery of Art will be built,” Mellon said “You cannot, and will not, refuse to do this My gift is too allery will become the premier place for art in this nation Your petty tax trial will be long done No one will ever give it another thought But the gallery—that will stand forever and never be forgotten”

“You truly are the reat wealth”