Meet Estelle Doheny, the woman who made Maryvale possible
Countess Carrie Estelle Doheny
Carrie Estelle Doheny was a woman of strong faith, intellectual curiosity, and deep compassion for the underserved in her community.
From humble origin, her marriage to Edward L. Doheny allowed her the resources to emerge as a significant philanthropist in Los Angeles and a renowned collector of books. She lived her life with an eye towards heaven, always trying to contribute to His Kingdom on earth.
Estelle Doheny as a young woman.
Carrie Estelle Betzold was born in Philadelphia on August 2, 1875. At fifteen, she and her German immigrant parents moved to Los Angeles. A decade later, Carrie Estelle was working as a telephone operator when she met forty-four-year-old Edward Laurence Doheny, a self-made businessman. After a brief courtship, the two were married and Carrie Estelle took over as the primary caretaker of Ned, her new stepson.
Mrs. Doheny was a devout Catholic and had a special affinity for the Vincentians and Daughters of Charity, orders of religious men and women formed around the charism of St. Vincent de Paul. During their thirty-five-year union, the Dohenys would fund the construction of a church and hospital in the name of this saint. Mrs. Doheny also made possible the land for a new children’s home in the city of Rosemead in South San Gabriel Valley, called Maryvale, and was a generous contributor to the building program.
During the later years of the Dohenys’ marriage, Reverend William G. Ward, C.M., a Vincentian priest, was assigned as their chaplain. He remained one of Mrs. Doheny’s chief advisors throughout the rest of her life. He was instrumental in the formation and design of the Carrie Estelle Doheny Foundation and many other charitable pursuits of Mrs. Doheny, including the establishing of the Los Angeles Maryvale Guild.
Mrs. and Mr. Doheny at the laying of the cornerstone ceremony for the Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library on the University of Southern California campus, c. 1931.
After Mr. Doheny died in 1935, Carrie Estelle began to dispose of some of the properties and other time-consuming holdings, but she did not decrease the scope of her charitable work. In early 1939, Carrie Estelle was elevated to the rank of Papal Countess by Pope Pius XII.
On her 69th birthday, Mrs. Doheny became partially blind while kneeling at Mass. Later she learned that glaucoma had destroyed her sight. After studying the disease, she created what would become the Doheny Eye Institute.
In her later years, Carrie Estelle made provisions for the future of several of her charitable endeavors, including St. Vincent’s Church and the Vincentian Fathers’ House of Studies. On June 17, 1949, she created the Carrie Estelle Doheny Foundation. She wanted the Foundation to be continuous, to further provide for the charities close to her heart after she was gone. Carrie Estelle Doheny died on October 30, 1958.
For those interested in learning more about Mrs. Doheny and her good works consider taking a tour of the Doheny Mansion. You can find more information by clicking HERE.
MRS. DOHENY, THE COLLECTOR
Carrie Estelle Doheny was a renowned collector of books with a particular interest in Bibles, most notably the Guttenberg Bible, which she owned for decades. In 1983, 25 years after her death, her gift to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles became unrestricted and was liquidated. During the two years of auctions in New York, London, and Paris, her collection at the Edward Laurence Doheny Memorial Library ultimately realized upwards of $34 million.
The first exhibition in the Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library Treasure Room featured rare items from Carrie Estelle’s literary collection, c. 1932.