# Linda Lee Thomas

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Wife of Cole Porter (1883–1954)

Linda Lee Thomas Thomas in 1919 Born Linda Belle Lee (1883-11-17)November 17, 1883 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. Died May 20, 1954(1954-05-20) (aged 70) New York City, New York, U.S. Resting place Peru, Indiana, U.S. Spouses Edward Russell Thomas ​ ​ (m. 1901; div. 1912)​ Cole Porter ​ (m. 1919)​ Relatives Lee family

**Linda Lee Thomas** (November 17, 1883 – May 20, 1954) was an American socialite and the wife of [musical theatre](/source/Musical_theatre) composer [Cole Porter](/source/Cole_Porter).

## First marriage

*Lady in Blue*, painted by [Emil Fuchs](/source/Emil_Fuchs_(artist)) in 1906

Thomas was born Linda Belle Lee to the prominent [Lee family](/source/Lee_family) of Virginia. Her father was Louisville banker William Paca Lee and her mother Lily Lee (née Hill). Friends introduced her to [Edward Russell Thomas](/source/Edward_Russell_Thomas), a son of [Union Army](/source/Union_Army) general Samuel Thomas and owner of the *[New York Morning Telegraph](/source/New_York_Morning_Telegraph)* (and who later became the first [American](/source/United_States) to kill someone in a [car accident](/source/Car_accident)) [*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]. They married on June 29, 1901, at [Newport, Rhode Island](/source/Newport%2C_Rhode_Island). She was 17. They lived a life of luxury, with houses in Palm Beach, Manhattan, and Newport. It was said that her favorite "department store" was [Van Cleef & Arpels](/source/Van_Cleef_%26_Arpels). They divorced on October 26, 1912,[1] reportedly due to his abuse.

## Marriage to Porter

Thomas and [Cole Porter](/source/Cole_Porter) met on January 30, 1918, at the wedding of Henry Potter Russell to heiress [Ethel Borden Harriman](/source/Ethel_B._Borden), daughter of railroad and investment banking tycoon [J. Borden Harriman](/source/J._Borden_Harriman) and his wife, née [Florence "Daisy" Hurst](/source/Florence_Jaffray_Harriman), at the [Hôtel Ritz Paris](/source/H%C3%B4tel_Ritz_Paris).

Thomas and Cole were married on December 18, 1919, in the city hall of the [8ème arrondissement](/source/8th_arrondissement_of_Paris) of [Paris](/source/Paris).[2]

From 1930 to 1939, the Porters lived at 13 rue Monsieur, a house next door to [Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](/source/Pierre_Teilhard_de_Chardin), and with a garden adjoining the future residence of [Nancy Mitford](/source/Nancy_Mitford). They were married 34 years, and although they had no children born of their marriage, Thomas conceived and miscarried.[3] [4]

Cole Porter, Thomas, Bernard Berenson, and [Howard Sturges](/source/Howard_Sturges) in gondola, 1923

Thomas died from [emphysema](/source/Emphysema) in 1954, aged 70, in the couple's apartment in the [Waldorf Towers](/source/Waldorf_Astoria_New_York). She left an estate of over $1.5 million (over $18 million today) in which Cole inherited a lifetime interest. Her jewelry collection included pieces by [Paul Flato](/source/Paul_Flato).[5] She was buried in the Porter family plot at Mount Hope Cemetery in [Peru, Indiana](/source/Peru%2C_Indiana).

## Portrayals

Thomas is portrayed by [Alexis Smith](/source/Alexis_Smith) in the 1946 film *[Night and Day](/source/Night_and_Day_(1946_film))* and by [Ashley Judd](/source/Ashley_Judd) in the 2004 film *[De-Lovely](/source/De-Lovely)*. A one-woman show about her life with Porter, titled *[Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter](/source/Love%2C_Linda%3A_The_Life_of_Mrs._Cole_Porter)*, starring jazz vocalist [Stevie Holland](/source/Stevie_Holland), ran [Off-Broadway](/source/Off-Broadway) at the [York Theatre](/source/York_Theatre) in 2013.

## References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Linda Lee Thomas](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Linda_Lee_Thomas).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ertobit_1-0)** [E. R, THOMAS, NOTED SPORTSMAN, DIES](https://www.nytimes.com/1926/07/07/archives/-e-r-thomab-noted-sportsm-xis-was-an-owner-of-the-morning-telegraph.html), *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* (July 7, 1926)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** McBrien, William (1998). [*Cole Porter*](https://archive.org/details/coleporterbiogra00mcbr_0/page/73). New York: Knopf. p. [73](https://archive.org/details/coleporterbiogra00mcbr_0/page/73). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-394-58235-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-394-58235-7).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-masterworks_3-0)** ["Cole Porter"](https://masterworksbroadway.com/artist/cole-porter/). *Masterworks Broadway*. Retrieved December 20, 2018. Her only pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-screen_4-0)** Peck, Ellen M. (May 3, 2018). ["Cole Porter's Fabulous Film Lives"](https://books.google.com/books?id=EspZDwAAQBAJ&q=cole+porter+miscarriage&pg=PT145). In Fryer, Paul (ed.). *The Composer on Screen: Essays on Classical Music Biopics*. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 139. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7864-9965-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7864-9965-6). Sources close to Linda and Cole" [confirmed] "that she did indeed miscarry a child and they chose to keep it private.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["An Unusual Pair of Emerald and Diamond Clip-Brooches, Paul Flato"](https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/jewelry/an-unusual-pair-of-emerald-and-diamond-6197805-details.aspx?from=salesummary&intObjectID=6197805&lid=1). *Christies*.

Authority control databases International VIAF WorldCat National United States

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