Psychiatrist, Heir to a Cultural Dynasty, and Guardian of a Legacy

Born into one of the most artistically and intellectually influential families of the Gilded Age, Dr. Rodman Drake de Kay Gilder was the son of Richard Watson Gilder, the poet-editor of The Century Magazine, and Helena de Kay Gilder, painter and co-founder of the Art Students League of New York. Raised in the heart of New York’s cultural elite—and nurtured at Four Brooks Farm in Tyringham, Massachusetts—Rodman inherited a legacy of art, literature, and public service.

Educated in medicine, Rodman became a psychiatrist, balancing the rigors of science with the introspective sensitivity that defined his family. He practiced in New York City, where he was a quiet but respected figure in his field. Though less publicly visible than his parents, Rodman maintained the Gilder commitment to civic duty, progressive thought, and intellectual refinement.

A Bridge Between Generations

Rodman was the brother of Rosamond Gilder, the theater critic and arts administrator who would carry the Gilder name into the modern era. As the father of Richard Watson Gilder II, a pilot killed in World War II, and father-in-law to Louis Comfort Tiffany’s daughter, Rodman’s life intersected with many threads of American art, science, and sacrifice.

At Four Brooks Farm, he embodied the continuity of the Gilder vision—preserving the values of truth, beauty, and service instilled by his parents while adapting to the psychological and social challenges of the 20th century. He died on September 30, 1953, and is buried in Syosset, New York, remembered as a gentle custodian of a luminous legacy.