From 1896 to 1920, the two bedrooms on the west end of the second floor served as family bedrooms.  From 1920 to 1944, these two rooms served as guest bedrooms for some of Cantigny’s most famous guests, such as Gloria Swanson, the famous Hollywood silent film star, who became immortalized in the film “Sunset Boulevard,” and Lillian Gish, another Hollywood star. From 1944 to 1955, Maryland McCormick’s daughters Alice and Anne also used the rooms as their bedrooms.

As part of the current restoration plan, the southwest bedroom represents the bedroom for both of Maryland’s daughters.  Alice and Ann attended school in Chicago, helped to host parties in the mansion and loved their stepfather, whom they referred to as “Uncle Bert.”   Typical of teenagers growing up during World War II, the stepdaughters’ bedroom is filled with pin-ups of handsome Hollywood stars and ticket stubs from performances they may have attended at downtown Chicago theatres.

Back in 1947, Maryland McCormick fell ill while traveling in China.  The Mayor of Shanghai helped Maryland recover from her fever.  When Mayor Wu could no longer stay in China because of his anti-communist political beliefs, he went on to become the Governor of Formosa.  In the meantime, Wu asked Maryland for help with his daughters, who were baptized as Christians and as such, could not survive in Communist China.  Maryland asked her husband, and Robert McCormick replied “send for them!”  So Eileen and Edith Wu came to Chicago.

When the girls arrived, all they had with them were two small suitcases filled with Chinese silk dresses.  Since they spoke very little English, McCormick sent them to study at Northwestern University.  Both girls stayed at the Northwestern dormitory during the week, and they used the two attic bedrooms in McCormick’s Wheaton home during the weekends.  Since the attic is not part of public tours due to fire codes, museum staff decided to interpret Eileen Wu’s bedroom as the northwest bedroom.

While attending Northwestern University, Eileen Wu began dating Yi Yuan Yu, a Chinese doctoral student studying engineering.  The courtship blossomed and they were married at Cantigny on June 30, 1952.  Robert McCormick gave the bride away.   200 guests attended the wedding reception on the south lawn of the mansion, and Time-Life magazine covered the story with a wonderful pictorial spread.  Eileen Wu and her husband eventually settled in Atlanta, and Edith joined them.

While living with the McCormicks, the Wu sisters created many works of art that adorn the walls of the mansion.  Some of these paintings are signed symbolically; for Eileen’s Chinese name is Hsiu Young, which means geranium; and Edith’s Chinese name is Hsiu Hwei, which means orchid.  One can see the symbol of their floral names in their art.