John Eleuthère du Pont has always been one of the most inspirational people in my life since I was young. I have always dearly loved his accomplishments since the 1960s particularly in the study of mollusks, my very favorite sea creature. He is one of the participants in my very favorite National Geographic Magazine article, The Magic Lure of Seashells, from the March 1969 issue of the magazine. In John E Du Ponts glory days in the 1960s and 70s, he was a philanthropist, an avid shell collector, a very knowledgable mollusk enthusiast, a scientific explorer and one of the most enviable people in the world in the way of private collections. He founded the Delaware Museum of Natural History, and also directed it and contributed to its displays. His expeditions and achievements devoted to his research on mollusks and seashells had been a source of great admiration for me for decades. However, his esteemed life had become tarnished in later times. In the 1990s he had become famous for being a strong athletics activist and a serious supporter of the sport of wrestling. He turned his home into a training facility dedicated to the sport. He also befriended Olympic gold medalist Dave Schultz, brother of Mark Schultz. John eventually fell victim to paranoid schizophrenia, and in 1996 he shot Dave Schultz at his home. There will be a movie about John E Du Ponts fall from grace which is based on the true story, that will be released in the United States in November this year. It is titled Foxcatcher, and will star actor Steve Carell as John Eleuthère du Pont. The film will also feature Channing Tatum as Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz, the brother of Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz (played by actor Mark Ruffalo), John E Du Ponts long time friend whom he had murdered at his home, Foxcatcher Farm. John E Du Pont was convicted and sentenced in 1997. He died in prison in December 2010. I will still always admire John E Du Pont for his earlier triumphs. He will always be one of my very favorite people of all time.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Jun 2014 16:31:56 +0000
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