Whitney family
Encyclopedia
The Whitney family is an American
family notable for their social prominence, wealth, business enterprises and philanthropy, founded by John Whitney (1592-1673) who came from London
, England
to Watertown, Massachusetts
in 1635.
, he was a younger brother to Boston
industrialist Henry Melville Whitney
(1839-1923). William Collins Whitney became an extremely wealthy businessman who made the Whitney name synonymous with thoroughbred horse racing in the United States
.
at Saratoga Race Course
is named in the family's honor. Whitney-owned horses have won every major race in the United States including multiple wins at the Kentucky Derby
, the Preakness Stakes
, and the Belmont Stakes
. Members of the family also maintained stables and breeding facilities in Newmarket (in Suffolk
, United Kingdom
); they won important British races including the prestigious Epsom Derby
.
A number of the New York Whitney family members were owners of thoroughbred racing operations under various names including Greentree Farm in Lexington, Kentucky
. Today, Whitney family members remain involved with horse racing, notably in 2004 when Marylou Whitney
apologized on national television for denying Smarty Jones
the U.S. Triple Crown
after her colt Birdstone
won the Belmont Stakes
.
s. Joan Whitney Payson
, an avid sportswoman, was the first owner of the New York Mets Major League Baseball
team from its founding in 1962 until her death in 1975. The Whitney Museum of American Art
in New York City
was founded by a Whitney-by-marriage, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney
.
By marriage:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
family notable for their social prominence, wealth, business enterprises and philanthropy, founded by John Whitney (1592-1673) who came from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to Watertown, Massachusetts
Watertown, Massachusetts
The Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.- History :Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from England...
in 1635.
Rise to prominence
The prominence of the New York branch of the Whitney family began with William Collins Whitney (1841-1904). Born in Conway, MassachusettsConway, Massachusetts
Conway is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,809 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, he was a younger brother to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
industrialist Henry Melville Whitney
Henry Melville Whitney
Henry Melville Whitney was an American industrialist, the founder of the West End Street Railway Company of Boston, Massachusetts, and later the Dominion Coal Company Ltd. and the Dominion Iron and Steel Company Ltd. of Sydney, Nova Scotia...
(1839-1923). William Collins Whitney became an extremely wealthy businessman who made the Whitney name synonymous with thoroughbred horse racing in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Horse racing
The Whitney HandicapWhitney Handicap
The Whitney Handicap is an American Grade 1 handicap race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of 1⅛ miles. In 2007, the Breeders' Cup Ltd...
at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
is named in the family's honor. Whitney-owned horses have won every major race in the United States including multiple wins at the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
, and the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
. Members of the family also maintained stables and breeding facilities in Newmarket (in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
); they won important British races including the prestigious Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
.
A number of the New York Whitney family members were owners of thoroughbred racing operations under various names including Greentree Farm in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. Today, Whitney family members remain involved with horse racing, notably in 2004 when Marylou Whitney
Marylou Whitney
Marylou Whitney is a noted philanthropist and a prominent socialite...
apologized on national television for denying Smarty Jones
Smarty Jones
Smarty Jones is a thoroughbred race horse, and winner of the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He finished second in the Belmont Stakes that took place on June 5th, 2004....
the U.S. Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
after her colt Birdstone
Birdstone
Birdstone is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2004 Belmont Stakes and is gaining notoriety as a fantastic sire....
won the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
.
Other endeavors
In addition to horse racing, a number of Whitney family members were important financiers and business owners, statesmen and philanthropistPhilanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
s. Joan Whitney Payson
Joan Whitney Payson
Joan Whitney Payson was an American heiress, businesswoman, philanthropist, patron of the arts and art collector, and a member of the prominent Whitney family...
, an avid sportswoman, was the first owner of the New York Mets Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team from its founding in 1962 until her death in 1975. The Whitney Museum of American Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
was founded by a Whitney-by-marriage, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney was an American sculptor, art patron and collector, and founder in 1931 of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City...
.
Prominent descendants of John Whitney
- Amos WhitneyAmos WhitneyAmos Whitney was a mechanical engineer and Connecticut inventor.Born in Biddeford, Maine, in 1860 he partnered with Francis Pratt to organize the Pratt & Whitney company to manufacture machine tools, tools for the makers of sewing machines, and gun making machinery for use by the Union Army...
(1832-1920) - Anne WhitneyAnne WhitneyAnne Whitney was an American sculptor and poet. She was born in Watertown, Massachusetts on September 2, 1821 and died in Boston, Massachusetts on January 23, 1915.-Early years:...
(1821–1915) - Asa WhitneyAsa WhitneyAsa Whitney was an American merchant and great railroad promoter. Whitney lived in New Rochelle, New York, just to the north of New York City where he was a highly successful dry-goods merchant....
(1797-1872) - Asa Whitney (canal commissioner)Asa Whitney (canal commissioner)Asa Whitney was an American manufacturer, inventor, railroad executive and politician.-Life:...
(1791-1874) - Benson WhitneyBenson WhitneyBenson Kelley Whitney was the United States Ambassador to Norway from 2006 to 2009. He was managing general partner of the Gideon Hixon Fund and former President of the Minnesota Venture Capital Association. He was also chief executive officer of Whitney Management Company...
(1956- ) - Charlotte Anita WhitneyCharlotte Anita WhitneyCharlotte Anita Whitney , best known as "Anita Whitney," was an American women's rights activist, political activist, suffragist, and early Communist Labor Party and Communist Party USA organizer in California...
(1867-1955) - Cornelius Vanderbilt WhitneyCornelius Vanderbilt WhitneyCornelius Vanderbilt Whitney was an American businessman, film producer, writer, and government official, as well as the owner of a leading stable of thoroughbred racehorses....
(1899-1992) - Emeliea Whitney Hamilton (1996-)
- Courtney WhitneyCourtney WhitneyMajor General Courtney Whitney was an American lawyer and Army commander during World War II who later served as a senior official during the occupation of Japan....
(1897-1969) - Dorothy Payne WhitneyDorothy Payne WhitneyDorothy Payne Whitney was an American-born social activist and philanthropist and a member of the prominent Whitney family.-Biography:...
(1887-1968) - Edward Baldwin WhitneyEdward Baldwin Whitney-Life:Edward Baldwin Whitney was born August 16, 1857. His father was linguist William Dwight Whitney of the new England Dwight family. His mother was Elizabeth Wooster Baldwin, daughter of US Senator and Governor of Connecticut Roger Sherman Baldwin....
(1857-1911) - Eli Whitney, Jr. (1765-1825)
- Eli Whitney Debevoise IIEli Whitney Debevoise IIEli Whitney Debevoise II is U.S. Executive Director of the World Bank Group . He was previously a partner at Arnold & Porter LLP and served as Commissioner of the Maryland Port Commission in Baltimore....
(1953- ) - Flora Payne WhitneyFlora Payne WhitneyFlora Payne Whitney, also known as Flora Whitney Miller , was a wealthy socialite, art collector, and patron of the arts.-Biography:...
(1897-1986) - Harry Payne WhitneyHarry Payne WhitneyHarry Payne Whitney was an American businessman, thoroughbred horsebreeder, and member of the prominent Whitney family.- Early years :...
(1872-1930) - Hassler WhitneyHassler WhitneyHassler Whitney was an American mathematician. He was one of the founders of singularity theory, and did foundational work in manifolds, embeddings, immersions, and characteristic classes.-Work:...
(1907-1989) - Henry Melville WhitneyHenry Melville WhitneyHenry Melville Whitney was an American industrialist, the founder of the West End Street Railway Company of Boston, Massachusetts, and later the Dominion Coal Company Ltd. and the Dominion Iron and Steel Company Ltd. of Sydney, Nova Scotia...
(1839-1923) - Henry Mitchell Whitney (1843-1911)
- James Scollay WhitneyJames Scollay WhitneyJames Scollay Whitney was an American business executive and politician. He was the father of Henry Melville Whitney and William Collins Whitney, founders of the Whitney family business interests....
(1811-1878) - Joan Whitney PaysonJoan Whitney PaysonJoan Whitney Payson was an American heiress, businesswoman, philanthropist, patron of the arts and art collector, and a member of the prominent Whitney family...
(1903-1975) - John Hay WhitneyJohn Hay WhitneyJohn Hay Whitney , colloquially known as "Jock" Whitney, was U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, publisher of the New York Herald Tribune, and a member of the Whitney family.-Family:...
(1905-1982) - Josiah Dwight Whitney (1819–1896)
- Mary Watson Whitney (1847-1921)
- Newel Kimball Whitney (1795–1850)
- Orson F. WhitneyOrson F. WhitneyOrson Ferguson Whitney born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from April 9, 1906 until his death.-Early life:...
(1855-1931) - Pauline Payne WhitneyPauline Payne WhitneyPauline Payne Whitney , was an American heiress and a member of the prominent Whitney family.She was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of William C. Whitney and Flora Whitney...
(1874-1916) - Payne Whitney (1876-1927)
- Phyllis Ayame Whitney (1903–2008)
- Richard Whitney (financier)Richard Whitney (financier)Richard Whitney was an American financier, president of the New York Stock Exchange from 1930 to 1935, and a convicted embezzler.-Biography:He was born on August 1, 1888 in Boston, Massachusetts to George Whitney, Sr....
{1888-1974} - Wheelock Whitney I (1894-1957)
- Wheelock Whitney II (1926- )
- Wheelock Whitney III (1949- )
- William Collins Whitney (1841-1904)
- William Dwight WhitneyWilliam Dwight WhitneyWilliam Dwight Whitney was an American linguist, philologist, and lexicographer who edited The Century Dictionary.-Life:William Dwight Whitney was born in Northampton, Massachusetts on February 9, 1827. His father was Josiah Dwight Whitney of the New England Dwight family...
(1827-1894) - Willis Rodney WhitneyWillis Rodney WhitneyWillis Rodney Whitney was an American chemist and founder of the research laboratory of the General Electric Company.- Early life and studies :...
(1868-1958)
By marriage:
- Mary Elizabeth AltemusLiz Whitney TippettMary Elizabeth Whitney Person Tippett was a wealthy American socialite and philanthropist who was a champion horsewoman and for more than fifty years, a prominent owner/breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses.Born in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of Elizabeth Dobson and her husband...
(1906-1988) - Charles T. BarneyCharles T. BarneyCharles Tracy Barney was the president of the Knickerbocker Trust Company, the collapse of which shortly before Barney's death sparked the Panic of 1907.-Early life and marriage:...
(1851-1907) - Betsey CushingBetsey Cushing Roosevelt WhitneyBetsey Roosevelt Whitney , was an American philanthropist, the ex-wife of James Roosevelt , and later wife of American millionaire and U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St...
(1908-1998) - Henry F. DimockHenry F. DimockHenry F. Dimock was a lawyer in New York City who was closely associated with the Whitney family business interests.Dimock was born in South Coventry, Connecticut, the son of Timothy and Laura F. Dimock...
(1842-1911) - Leonard Knight Elmhirst (1893-1974)
- Helen Julia HayHelen Hay WhitneyHelen Julia Hay Whitney was an American poet, writer, racehorse owner/breeder, socialite, and philanthropist. She was a member by marriage of the prominent Whitney family of New York.-Biography:...
(1876-1944) - Almeric Hugh Paget, 1st Baron Queenborough (1861-1949)
- Marie Louise SchroederMarylou WhitneyMarylou Whitney is a noted philanthropist and a prominent socialite...
(b. 1925) - Willard Dickerman StraightWillard StraightWillard Dickerman Straight was an American investment banker, publisher, reporter and diplomat.-Biography:...
(1880-1918) - Adeline Dutton TrainAdeline Dutton Train WhitneyAdeline Dutton Train Whitney was an American poet and writer of books for girls.Whitney was born Adeline Dutton Train in Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of the founder of a line of packet ships between Boston and Liverpool, Enoch Train, and Adeline Train . She was educated at the school of...
(1824-1906) - Gertrude VanderbiltGertrude Vanderbilt WhitneyGertrude Vanderbilt Whitney was an American sculptor, art patron and collector, and founder in 1931 of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City...
(1875-1942)
External links
- Whitney Research Group - dedicated to the scholarly research of Whitney families around the world and throughout history.
- 25 Jul 2008 Bloodhorse.com article titled The Whitney Handicap: a look at a treasured American family