Dr. Albert Einstein is one of the most famous people in history and even has a room named after him at The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn. Why does The Willows have this?
One of the first owners of The Willows was a well-known lawyer from New York in the early 1900s, Samuel Untermyer. Among other things, he was famous for taking on corporate giants, such as J.D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan (you can read more about Untermyer in previous posts).
Dr. Einstein was a good friend of Samuel Untermyer and frequently visited The Willows’ hideaway with his wife. Of all the famous people who have stayed at The Willows, the most well-known guest was Dr. Einstein.
In fact, the publication Physical Culture includes a photo of Einstein at Untermyer’s “large, rambling Spanish hacienda, in which are all the comforts of a Manhattan home”. The article includes a photo collage of life in the desert and talks about the shift from the “Old West” to the how “Easterners” are turning to it for relaxation.
To see the photo of Einstein, as well as some thoughts of the author, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr., on the desert transition, you can view the PDF here.
