Paul Newman Hosts Lynda Byrd Johnson at Fordune

[Credit: British Pathé ]

Back in 1964, Charlotte Ford and Paul Newman hosted a barbecue fundraiser for Lyndon Johnson, with guest Lynda Byrd Johnson, at Fordune, the Southampton estate of Charlotte's mother, Anne McDonnell Ford. 1900 guests attended. Spoiler alert: Johnson won the election.

Remember Anne McDonnell and Henry Ford II getting married in 1940? Of course you do. She was a member of the Murray-McDonnell family of Southampton. She divorced Mr. Ford in 1964 and was awarded Fordune, their 16,000-square-foot compound spread across 235 beachfront acres of Southampton. She later sold the estate which was, of course, broken up into smaller parcels.