Draft:David B. Mulligan

• Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Leighton H. Coleman III (talk) 18:09, 26 June 2026 (UTC)

David B. Mulligan (1869–1954) was a Canadian-born hotel executive whose career spanned major North American hotels in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He held senior management roles at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, the Windsor Hotel in Montreal, and the Hotel Biltmore in New York City.^[1][2][3] He later became president and chairman of Realty Hotels Inc., which operated several prominent New York hotels.^[4][5]

Mulligan was also involved in organized sport as a promoter of ice hockey and lacrosse, and was an active amateur golfer. He is associated with one of several widely cited origin stories of the golf term mulligan, referring to a second chance or replayed shot.^[6][7]

Early life and family

Mulligan was born in Pembroke, Ontario, the son of Captain David B. Mulligan Sr. and Catherine Draper.^[1] He came from an Irish-Canadian family with connections to business and professional fields in Canada and the United States. He studied at Osgoode Hall in Toronto before entering the hotel industry.^[1]

Early career

Mulligan began his career in 1892 as a bellhop at the Copeland House in Pembroke.^[1] In 1893, he moved to Chicago, where he held clerical positions at hotels including the Palmer House and the Lexington Hotel.^[1]

By 1894, he had relocated to New York City, serving as a room clerk at the Holland House from 1894 to 1895. He later joined the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where he worked from approximately 1896 to 1899.^[1]

In 1900, he was appointed associate manager of a hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.^[8] He subsequently returned to Canada and was associated with the Russell House in Ottawa from approximately 1902 to 1911.^[1] In 1911, he returned to New York as general manager of the Hotel Breslin.^[9]

Ottawa and hockey administration

During his years in Ottawa, Mulligan was associated with the Russell House, one of the city’s leading hotels. He was also active in organized sport, serving as vice-president, delegate, and chairman of the players' committee of the Ottawa Hockey Club.^[10][11]

He was part of the club’s executive during a period in which Ottawa won Stanley Cup championships in 1909, 1910, and 1911.^[10][11]

Railway hotels and Winnipeg years

By the mid-1910s, Mulligan was based in Winnipeg, where he served as superintendent of hotels for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, later associated with Canadian National Hotels.^[12] In this role, he oversaw a network of railway hotels across Canada.

During this period, he was active as an amateur golfer and participated in competitions and inter-club matches.^[13][14][15]

Windsor Hotel, Montreal

In 1924, Mulligan was appointed manager of the Windsor Hotel in Montreal.^[16] He later became vice-president and managing director and played a role in linking the hotel to a broader North American network of luxury hotels.^[2]

By 1927, he had acquired an ownership interest in the hotel and was elected a vice-president of the American Hotel Association.^[17] During his tenure, expansion plans were announced that would significantly increase the hotel’s capacity.^[17]

He remained in charge until resigning in 1931.^[18]

New York executive career

After leaving Montreal in 1931, Mulligan returned to New York City. In 1932, he joined the Bowman-Biltmore organization as vice-president and managing director and was placed in charge of the Hotel Biltmore.^[1]

He later became president of Realty Hotels Inc., which operated several major Manhattan hotels, including the Hotel Biltmore, Hotel Commodore, Hotel Barclay, Roosevelt Hotel, Hotel Chatham, and the Park Lane Hotel.^[4] By the 1940s, he had risen to chairman of the board.^[5]

Association with the term "mulligan"

Mulligan is associated with one of several origin stories of the golf term mulligan. According to accounts attributed to him, the term originated during a round of golf in Montreal in the early 1920s.^[6]

Later recollections, including those reported in The New York Times, place Mulligan within early use of the term in North American golf circles.^[7]

Personal life

Mulligan was married twice. His first wife was Marie Zanone Hill, with whom he had one son, David B. Mulligan Jr., born in 1905.^[1] She died shortly after the birth of their son.^[1]

In 1914, he married Jean Craig Mulligan in New York City.^[1] Their children included George Mulligan, Deane Mulligan, and Jean Suzanne ("Suzy") Mulligan.^[1]

His daughter Suzy Mulligan was active in New York social circles and worked as a performer at the Stork Club^[19].

She married first American tennis champion Sidney Wood.^[20] She later married banking executive Leighton H. Coleman Jr.^[21]

Mulligan was related to Canadian hockey player Mike Grant Sr. and Wall Street financier M. Donald Grant.^[5]

Death

Mulligan died in New York City in 1954 at the age of 83.^[3]

References

Category:1869 births Category:1954 deaths Category:Canadian businesspeople Category:Canadian hoteliers Category:American businesspeople in hospitality Category:People from Pembroke, Ontario Category:People from Montreal Category:People from New York City Category:Golf culture