In the sweltering heat of Washington D.C. in 1945, a scandal was brewing that would shake the foundations of the nation’s capital. At the center of the storm was Abby Rockefeller, a high-society figure and daughter of Standard Oil’s John D. Rockefeller, who was reportedly under the spell of a psychiatrist. According to insiders, Abby’s fascination with the psychiatrist was the reason one of her friends, a man named Tru, was mysteriously dropped from her social circle.
The reason for Tru’s sudden exclusion was a tell-all article he had penned, which made some damaging accusations against Abby’s inner circle. Specifically, the article claimed that Barbara Hutton, an actress and wife of Vice President Henry A. Wallace, was, in fact, a Spanish refugee. The article also alleged that Hutton’s two ex-husbands, Reinald Lewin and Cary Grant, had since become American citizens.
Meanwhile, another high-profile figure, Helen Twelvetrees, was making headlines after a whirlwind romance with a bridge expert, Mr. Culbertson. The two had reportedly eloped to a New York City hotel, leaving their friends and family stunned. But it was the antics of a former drama critic, J. Brooks Atkinson, that would truly capture the nation’s attention. Atkinson had been denied a visa to travel to Moscow, and in a bold move, he decided to cable Stalin directly, citing his editor’s decision to send him on the assignment as a reason for the delay.
But the most shocking news of all came from the world of entertainment, where actress Helen Twelvetrees was not the only one making headlines. Ernie Pyle, the celebrated war correspondent, was hospitalized after being rushed back from Washington D.C. with a serious illness. Pyle had traveled to the nation’s capital to receive a posthumous award, but his health took a turn for the worse, and he was forced to return to a Western hospital for treatment.
The scandals and intrigue continued to swirl in the nation’s capital, with some high-profile figures, including the Secretary of War, rumored to be on the verge of resignation. But as the dust settled, one thing was clear: 1945 Washington was a city of secrets, scandals, and shocking revelations.
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Key Facts
- State: National
- Category: Public Corruption
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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