Some Verses

viii, 72 pp. Whitney, Helen Hay (11 March 1876–24 September 1944), sportswoman and philanthropist, was born in New York City, the daughter of John Hay, secretary of state to Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt and ambassador to Great Britain, and Clara Louise Stone. Helen attended the elite Miss Masters’ School in Dobbs Ferry, New York. After her graduation from this school, she wrote several volumes of poetry, including Some Verses (1898), The Rose of Dawn (1901), and The Punch and Judy Book (1906). These literary endeavors were immensely pleasing to her father, who sent her work to his publishing friends and was said to have shown more enthusiasm for her writing than he had for anything else in years. In 1902 Helen married financier Payne Whitney; they had one son and one daughter. Their wedding ceremony was a major social event in Washington, D.C., with guests including President Roosevelt and his entire cabinet. Wedding gifts to the couple included a home on Fifth Avenue in New York City, a yacht, and numerous pieces of diamond jewelry. With her husband, Whitney developed a lifelong interest in horse racing, which ultimately led her to become known as the “first lady of the American turf.” Her purchase in 1909 of steeplechaser Web Carter began her establishment of Greentree Stable in Red Bank, New Jersey. By the 1920s this 150-acre facility was recognized as one of the country’s most significant steeplechasing stables and one of the largest ever run by a woman in the United States. Known for its horses carrying pink and black silks, Whitney’s stable was among the top money-winners in the United States for some twenty years. It achieved particular success in 1931 and 1942, when her horses won the Kentucky Derby and placed well in other races. Whitney’s interest in horse racing extended into the world of politics. She used her wealth and influence to fight the efforts of New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes to enact antigambling legislation in the state and also to fight in 1939 for the legalization of parimutuel betting. She was credited with bringing the support of many society women to the sport of horse racing and with leading the effort to raise money among turf patrons for war relief during World War II. Whitney served as honorary vice president of the Horticultural Society of New York. She was also a major supporter of the New York Hospital and the Henry Street Settlement in New York City. Beginning in 1919 she held an annual Greentree Fair at her estate in Manhasset, New York, to benefit the Family Welfare Association of Nassau County and the New York Hospital. In 1930 she and her children gave a major gift to Yale University for the construction of a new gymnasium in memory of her husband, who died in 1927. Whitney died in New York City. A woman who was born into immense wealth and prestige and married into even more, Whitney used her money and position to further the sport of horse racing and to support charitable causes. Her financial success with Greentree Stable placed her among the elite in horse racing and earned her stable the added distinction of female leadership. - American National Biography