David Cannadine examines Mellon's philanthropy, involvement in tax scandal [video 63min]

Biographer David Cannadine appeared at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington DC to discuss the life of financial pioneer Andrew Mellon. Andrew Mellon, founder of the National Gallery of Art, became a financier and industrialist in the 1930's. He served as Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932 in the cabinets of Presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover and then served as ambassador to Great Britain, 1932-1933. In the book, the author examines Andrew Mellon's purchase of paintings from the Hermitage museum in Russia, documents his founding of the National Gallery of Art, and explores Mellon's involvement in a large tax scandal.