Whitney, John Hay

Whitney, John Hay,

1904–82, American public official and newspaper publisher, b. Ellsworth, Maine. After an active career in business and in various government posts, Whitney served (1957–61) as ambassador to Great Britain. In 1958 his company acquired control of the New York Herald Tribune, and in 1961 he became publisher of the newspaper, which ceased publication in 1966. The company continued to publish its Paris edition, which became the International Herald Tribune (now owned by the New York Times).

Whitney, John Hay (“Jock”)

(1904–82) financier, publisher; born in Ellsworth, Maine. Member of a patrician family and a Yale graduate (1926), he had a varied career in motion pictures, publishing, and finance. He was chairman of Selznick International Pictures from 1936–40, during which the company produced one of the most popular movies of all time, Gone with the Wind. A senior partner in J. H. Whitney & Co., investment bankers, he was publisher of The New York Herald Tribune from 1957–66 and served as U.S. ambassador to Great Britain from 1956–61.