Elsie Foster Cassatt

Elsie Foster Cassatt Stewart (August 14, 1875 – May 31, 1931) was an American athlete and social figure. She was born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of Alexander Cassatt and Lois Buchanan Cassatt. Her father was the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Her family connections included notable relatives: her older brother was Edward B. Cassatt, a soldier and horse breeder; her maternal uncle was James Buchanan, a President of the United States; and her paternal aunt was the painter Mary Cassatt.

During her childhood, Elsie visited her aunt Mary Cassatt in France. Some of the portraits by Mary Cassatt feature Elsie, including "Katherine Cassatt Reading to her Grandchildren," "Elsie in a Blue Chair," and "Elsie Cassatt Holding a Big Dog."

In her early adulthood, Cassatt was recognized as an athletic individual, described as "a modern Diana," engaging in activities such as riding, swimming, shooting, and tennis. She was also known for her involvement in cricket and golf. She participated in the U.S. Women's Amateur golf tournament in 1899 and 1901 and was considered among the top American women golfers of her time. In 1900, she was a member of the Merion Cricket Club with her sister Katherine. She also contributed to the arts by loaning some of Mary Cassatt's paintings to a significant exhibition held at the Pennsylvania Museum in 1927, curated by Louisine Havemeyer.

In her personal life, Elsie Cassatt married W. Plunket Stewart, a stockbroker, in 1902. The marriage ended in divorce in 1930, after which her former husband remarried. W. Plunket Stewart was a recognized breeder of hunting dogs. Elsie and W. Plunket Stewart had four children: daughters Katherine, Doris, and Elsie, and a son, Alexander, who died in 1912. Her death occurred in New York in 1931 at the age of 55. She is interred in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Her daughter Katherine Kelso Stewart married Eric Vicomte de Spoelberch, a Belgian pilot and athlete, in 1932. The Elsie Cassatt Stewart Memorial Children's Fund was established at the Jefferson Medical College Hospital and Medical Center in Philadelphia.

In popular culture, Cassatt was depicted as a character in the 1999 television film "Mary Cassatt: An American Impressionist," portrayed by Canadian actress Emma Taylor-Isherwood.

For further information, see her entry on Find a Grave.