William Payne Whitney

William Payne Whitney (March 20, 1876 – May 25, 1927) was an American businessman and member of the influential Whitney family. He inherited a fortune and enlarged it through business dealings, then devoted much of his money and efforts to a wide variety of philanthropic purposes. His will included funds to expand the New York Hospital, now called NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic was established.





== Early life ==

William Payne Whitney was born on March 20, 1876, to William Collins Whitney (1841–1904) and Flora Payne (1842–1893). His siblings included: elder brother, Harry Payne Whitney (1872–1930), Pauline Payne Whitney (1874–1916), and younger sister, Dorothy Payne Whitney (1887–1968).

After his mother's death and his father's remarriage (of which he apparently disapproved), Whitney essentially dropped the first name he shared with his father, and became commonly known simply as Payne Whitney. This choice is reflected in the form of his name associated with several of his philanthropic endeavors.

Whitney was educated at the Groton School. He attended Yale College, where he was a member of Skull and Bones: 171  and Delta Kappa Epsilon, and captained the Yale rowing team. After graduating in 1898, Whitney then studied law at the Harvard Law School, receiving his Bachelor of Laws in 1901.