 A member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, from his undergraduate days. Class valedictorian of Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts - an elite prep school. Alums include 1960s icon Abbie Hoffman, "Durango Kid" cowboy actor Charles Starrett and screenwriter Caitlin McCarthy.
He was considered somewhat "washed up" at the time that he wrote what would become his greatest musical "Kiss Me, Kate". Although many of the musicals that he wrote songs for between 1937 and 1948 achieved respectable runs, none of them contained any truly classic hit songs. That changed when he wrote the score for "Kiss Me, Kate", which contained "So In Love", "Wunderbar", "Too Darn Hot", "Brush Up Your Shakespeare", "Were Thine That Special Face", and others. However, because "Kate" was written in 1948, there is no mention of it at all in the Cole Porter biographical film "Night and Day".
His estate continues to earn revenue in excess of $3 million per year, which is dispersed among numerous relatives.
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
Lived at the Waldorf-Astoria Tower in New York City from 1939 through 1964. A young hotel worker named Glory Santos was assigned to his suite as room service concierge soon after he moved in. He befriended her and would play new compositions he was working on to get her opinion. Among the first of these compositions was the song called "I Concentrate on You".
Was portrayed by Cary Grant in Night and Day (1946) Kevin Kline in the movie, De-Lovely (2004), both based (to some degree) on his life.
When he died he gave his 350 acre estate, known as Buxton Hill, to Williams College.
In 1949, won two Tony Awards for "Kiss Me, Kate": Best Composer and Lyricist, and for music and lyrics as part of the Best Musical Award.
It is said that while on his honeymoon in Ravenna (Italy), he was so impressed by the mood of the small Mausoleum of Galla Placidia that he wrote his famous song "Night and Day" while thinking of the starry sky mosaic under Mausoleum`s cupola.
Referenced in the song `The Call of the Wild (Merengue)` by David Byrne on his 1989 album, `Rei Momo`.
His musical Anything Goes, performed at the Royal National Theatre in London, England was awarded the 2002 London Critics Circle Award (Drama) for Best Musical.
His musical High Society, performed at the Open Air Theatre, was nominated for a 2004 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award as Outstanding Musical Production of 2003.
His musical Kiss Me Kate, performed at the Open Air Theatre, was nominated for a 1998 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award as Outstanding Musical Production of 1997.
His musical, Anything Goes performed at the Royal National Theatre: Olivier in 2002, was awarded the 2003 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Outstanding Musical Production.
His musical, Kiss Me Kate, performed at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London, was awarded the 2001 London Critics Circle Theatre Award for Best Musical.
Older brother and sister (Louis and Rachel) died in infancy
Pictured on a 29˘ US commemorative postage stamp in the Performing Arts series, issued 22 May 1991, celebrating the 100th anniversary of his birth.
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