You’ve probably seen the name Colgate on your toothpaste tube every single morning. But honestly, most people have no idea that the man behind one of the family’s most interesting legacies, Stanley M. Rumbough Jr., was way more than just a guy with a famous last name and a massive inheritance.
He was a fighter pilot. A political kingmaker. A guy who basically helped invent the modern presidential campaign.
When Stan Rumbough passed away in 2017 at the age of 97, he left behind a trail of accomplishments that sort of puts the rest of our resumes to shame. He didn't just sit on a pile of money in Palm Beach; he lived through the kind of history that people write epic movies about.
The Yale Kid Who Went to War
Born in Manhattan in 1920, Stan was born into what you’d call "old money." His great-grandfather was William Colgate—the man who founded the company that eventually became Colgate-Palmolive. His mother, Elizabeth Morse Colgate, made sure he knew the weight of that legacy.
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But Stan wasn't interested in just being a "trust fund kid."
When World War II broke out, he didn't look for a desk job. He joined the United States Marine Corps as a fighter pilot. Think about that for a second. This wasn't a guy playing it safe. He flew over 50 combat missions in the Pacific Theater.
He didn't just fly; he excelled. By the time the war ended, he’d earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses and eight Air Medals. Two-word summary: Total badass.
The Pacific was a meat grinder for pilots. Flying those missions required a level of grit that most socialites simply didn't have. It was this foundation of discipline and raw courage that defined everything he did later in life.
The Man Who Drafted Ike
After the war, most people expected Rumbough to just melt into the corporate world. Instead, he got frustrated. He looked at "the mess in Washington" (his words) and decided someone needed to fix it.
He was convinced that General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the only person who could lead the country. The problem? Eisenhower hadn't even said he wanted to run.
So, what did Stan do? He and fellow pilot Charles F. Willis Jr. started the "Citizens for Eisenhower" movement in 1951.
They had no political experience. None. They were just two guys who believed in a leader.
But they were smart. They brought business efficiency to politics. Within eight months, they had 800 "IKE" clubs in 38 states. They even helped pioneer the first-ever TV spot commercials for a presidential campaign. Basically, if you’ve ever seen a political ad on TV, you can sort of thank (or blame) Stan Rumbough for being one of the guys who thought it was a good idea.
Eisenhower himself later said he wouldn't have been a candidate if it wasn't for Rumbough and Willis. That’s a pretty big deal.
Marriage to a Hollywood Legend
Life wasn't all politics and dogfights. In 1946, Stan married Nedenia Hutton. You might know her better by her stage name: Dina Merrill.
She was the daughter of Marjorie Merriweather Post and E.F. Hutton. Yeah, talk about a power couple. They were the "it" couple of the 1950s—wealthy, beautiful, and influential.
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They had three children together:
- Stanley Hutton Rumbough
- David Post Rumbough
- Nedenia Colgate Rumbough
But here’s where the story gets heavy. Life isn't always fair, even for the ultra-wealthy. In 1973, their son David died in a tragic boating accident in Gardiner's Bay. He was only 23. It’s the kind of heartbreak that changes a person forever. Stan and Dina eventually divorced in 1966, long before the accident, but they remained linked by their family and their shared history in the spotlight.
The Business of Being Stan
Stan wasn't just a "member" of Colgate-Palmolive. He was an entrepreneur in his own right. Over his career, he was a founder, CEO, or director of more than 40 companies.
He didn't just stay in New York. He had business interests in the West Indies and Mexico. He was a founding member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). He was basically the guy other CEOs went to when they wanted to know how to actually run things.
Later in life, he became a fixture in Palm Beach. He wasn't just there for the golf, though. He was a longtime leader of the Palm Beach Civic Association. He cared about the quality of life in the town and spent decades working to protect it.
Why We Still Talk About Him
Stanley M. Rumbough Jr. represents a specific era of American leadership. It was a time when wealth came with a heavy sense of civic duty. You served in the military. You got involved in politics because you thought it mattered. You gave back to your community.
He wasn't perfect. Nobody is. But he was a man of action.
Actionable Takeaways from Rumbough’s Life
If you’re looking to apply a bit of that "Rumbough energy" to your own life, here’s how to do it:
- Don't wait for permission. Stan didn't wait for the Republican Party to ask him to help Eisenhower. He just started the movement himself. If you see a problem, fix it.
- Diversify your interests. Don't be "just" a business person or "just" a creative. Stan was a pilot, a politician, an investor, and a philanthropist.
- Service matters. Regardless of your tax bracket, find a way to serve. For Stan, it was the Marines and later the White House.
- Resilience is key. He lived through war and the loss of a child. He kept moving forward.
Stanley M. Rumbough Jr. died just four months after his first wife, Dina Merrill. It felt like the end of an era. He wasn't just an heir; he was a builder. He built movements, companies, and a legacy that stretched far beyond the toothpaste aisle.
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If you want to dive deeper into his political impact, look up his book Citizens for Eisenhower. It’s a fascinating look at how two outsiders changed the course of American history. You can also visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library archives to see the actual "Fact Papers" he compiled while working in the White House. Those documents show the meticulous, detail-oriented mind of a man who never did anything halfway.