DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE A HEIRESS AMONG OUR FORDHAM FAMILY?

Amanda Hearst is an American socialite born in New York City and she is also an heiress to the Hearst Family Fortune.* Hearst worked at Marie Claire, a Hearst Corp. property, where she was the associate marketing editor. 📷 (Photo 1)

She received her education from Fordham University (FCLC 2008) with a BA in Art History. Note: She started out at Boston College another Jesuit University.

Her great-grandfather was William Randolph Hearst.

The American newspaper publisher, and politician who developed the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. He may best be remembered as the thinly veiled subject of the classic film Citizen Kane. Spoiler Alert: Rosebud was a sled.

Her aunt is Patty Hearst. The photo below comes from a terrible time in her life when she was kidnapped and under the influence of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). A small, American militant organization active between 1973 and 1975.

Hearst later claimed she was subjected to a series of ordeals while in SLA captivity; her mother later described these as "brainwashing". The announced change in Hearst's politics through the following months has been attributed to Stockholm Syndrome, a psychological response in which a hostage exhibits apparent loyalty to the abductor.

Patty Hearst's attorney F. Lee Bailey used the Stockholm Syndrome argument as part of her defense at trial. He claimed that she had been confined in a closet barely large enough for her to lie down in; that her contact with the outside world was regulated by her captors; and that she was regularly threatened with execution. 📷 (Photo 2)

She was convicted of the Hibernia Bank robbery, in San Francisco, and sentenced to seven years in prison. After she had been in prison for 21 months, US President Jimmy Carter commuted the sentence to time served. She was later pardoned by President Bill Clinton. (https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/07/31/patty-hearsts-wild-true-crime-saga-revisited-in-american-heiress/)

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Amanda is a direct descendant of gold tycoon and future U.S. Senator George Hearst, whose ruthless-if exaggerated-business dealings in the 1870s American West became the central plot of HBO’s series Deadwood. The entire Hearst fortune can be traced back to these origins.

Her wedding, to Norwegian Film Director, Joachim Ronning,** was memorable by any standard. The 4 day celebration was held at Hearst Castle in California. The bride wore not one, but five gowns. (popsugar.com) 📷 (Photo 3)

Ronning's most recent film is entitled Young Woman and the Sea. It stars Daisy Ridley of the recent Star Wars reboots.

She is also a model. She is involved in Friends of Finn, a charity she founded, which is an organization that focuses on preventing and stopping puppy mills, which treat dogs inhumanely. 📷 (Photo 4)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2021/10/05/the-richest-women-in-america-2021-forbes-400/?sh=5889a771b23d

References:

* https://za.investing.com/magazine/top-25-richest-heirs-heiresses-in-america/

** https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1461392/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

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This article originally appeared in the Fordham Class of 1980 Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/537184563628982

MILLY X FRIENDS OF FINN 

When Michelle Smith, designer and founder of MILLY, and Amanda Hearst, founder of Friends of Finn, decided to create an exclusive t-shirt collection to support The Humane Society of the United States Friends of Finn's efforts to stop puppy mills, we knew good things would result. SHOP THE TEES HERE. Michelle worked with Amanda and Friends of Finn members Georgina Bloomberg and Kimberly Ovitz to a very special limited edition collection of graphic t-shirts, each with a hashtag phrase that relates to their dogs. 

We were eager to get the inside scoop from Amanda about what inspired her to found Friends of Finn and what the man himself (her dog, Finn) is all about...

US: What prompted you to start Friends of Finn? 

AMANDA: I had been working with The Humane Society of the United States and kept hearing all these horrible things about puppy mills, which are illegal breeding facilities where animals are usually treated terribly. I learned that over 90% of pet store dogs are from these types of places, so I did some research and found out that my own dog, Finn, was from a puppy mill. That's why I started Friends of Finn, to raise money and awareness to end the industry of puppy mills in the US.

US: Tell us about Finn!

AMANDA: He is a foodie, so at the moment he's probably not "sample size" - haha. There have been several occasions where I've found him on the dinner table eating straight butter! Not good for the waist line! Also he loves people, and usually kisses them on the mouth when he meets them. He also loves naps and his girlfriend Pequi, a Pomeranian that he goes on walks with.

US: Did you grow up with a dog as a child? Did you have any other pets?

AMANDA: I’ve always grown up with animals. In the city, we had Chili and Lizzie (two mixes) and a cat names Sarah. Then, my mom moved to a farm in the Hamptons, so now we have dogs, cats, ducks, geese, miniature goats, alpacas, miniature donkeys...it's very much a Dr. Doolittle situation out there. 

US: Where do you love to take your dog in NYC? Do you have any go-to spot, or places Finn loves to go?

AMANDA: Finn loves the West Village, especially Rag & Bone because they give him treats there. He also loves my local boutique wine shop...because they give him treats, too. So basically, anywhere where he can get food he's happy! But the dog park in Washington Square Park is great, and he has lots of little friends there.

US: How can someone work with the The Humane Society of the United States to ensure their puppy is not from a puppy mill? 

AMANDA: The bottom line is that the majority of pet store animals are from puppy mills. So if you really want to be safe, you should adopt or work with a reputable breeder. Please read up on The HSUS' advice about how to make sure you don't support puppy mills: https://www.humanesociety.org. 

US: What inspired your MILLY x Friends of Finn t-shirt design? What does “TOP DOG” mean to you?

AMANDA: Given that hashtags are so huge with social media, I thought it would be fun to use that idea on a tee. I like TOP DOG because Finn is my number 1...and he knows it!

Check out our slideshow to see pictures from the launch party and support the cause with your own MILLY for Friends of Finn t-shirt collection! Be sure to get more information about Friends of Finn here and follow them on Instagram @friendsoffinn.