Karl Behr

Karl Behr (May 30, 1885 – October 15, 1949) was an American tennis player and banker. He was a prominent member of New York society and is best known for being a survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912.

Behr was born in New York City to Herman and Grace (Howell) Behr. He graduated from Yale University in 1906, where he played on the tennis team, and later worked as a banker.

In 1907, Behr was ranked as high as No. 9 in the United States. He reached the final of the 1907 Cincinnati Masters, losing to Robert LeRoy. He was a member of the U.S. Davis Cup team in 1907, playing in one tie against Australasia.

Behr was traveling aboard the Titanic with his family and his future wife, Helen Newsom, with whom he was secretly engaged. They were first-class passengers. All survived the sinking in lifeboat No. 5. Their romance and survival of the Titanic disaster became a widely publicized story.

Behr and Newsom married later in 1912 and had five children. He continued his career in banking. He died in 1949.