Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-27


! Such tributes ought to convince all
who are interested in the workings of
| the New York Stock Exchange that its
new president is quite fellow. For the
greater part of the last Al years Dick
Whitney'S intimateS have been saying
similar things They will tell yod, for
instance, that he's as good as he looks
In any company he would attract atten-
ton, not only because he is big man
physically, but also because his head
and shoulders would have delighted any
Greek sculptor in days of long ago. His
jet black hair is thinning on top, and
there is a trace of gray about the
temples. His features are large, but well
proportioned. Under heavy eyebrows
are brown eyes which are just little
too serious for a man of Al, and the
lines of his face and a very firm upper
lip also denote an early maturity.
ScOrns Golf as Waste of Time.
He stands an even six feet in his
stockings, and although he weighs 210
pounds, that does not include super
fiuouS ounce of flesh. Watching him
move about you would bet any sum of
money that even now he could step into
a tackle position on the Harvard line
and last through so minutes of
grueling modern foot ball. or that he
could row four miles on the Thames. as
he did at bow for Jesse Wade's vic
toriouS crew at New London just 20
years ago this June.
For exercise nowadays he rides horse
back as often as his multitudinous
duties in Wall Street permit, and he
plays tennis, as he admits, with all my
might, and whenever I can" He scornS
golf for two reaSonS-it kills too much
time and Its bad game, for temper
like mine" Out on his estate in Far
Hills, N. j., he breeds thoroughbred
horses, and he is racing string of 2
year-olds this season, with very little
expectation that he'll ever get chance
to see them run. He is happiest when
he can get away for a week end at Far
Hills, where he can get acquainted with
his horses. They have been his passion
since boyhood.
Dick" Whitney is a native of his
toric Essex County, Massachusetts. This
Summer the commonwealth of MasSa-
chusettS is observing the Booth ami
versary of the landing of John Win
throp and the other proprietorS of the
Bay Colony from the good ship Arbella.
and it is matter of keen pride to the
new president Of the Stock Exchange
that the Arbella brought the first Whit
ney to these shores. They have been
Taxing d plOILIlIcllG JdIL III LLlC dl1dAIo
of the Old Bay State ever since, and
it is said to be subject of regret in
Boston that the town wasn't quite big
enough for Dick" and his elder brother,
George, now a partner in the house OF
Morgan Both sought New York when
the ink was hardly dry on their Har-
ward sheepSkins.
In Massachusetts the scion of a May
flower or an Arbella family doesn't
have much to say about the first 20
years of his life. AT birth he is auto
matically enrolled for either Groton or
ST. Marks, then for Harvard College.
then for the Somerset or Union Clubs,
and finally for either Kidder, Peabody
most substantial of Boston banking
houses. Dick" Whitney took the
Groton- MISREPRESENTATION, Pea
body route and has travelled very far,
but he's sportsman enough to admit
that the ST. Mark Harvard Union-Lee,
Higginson route is a very attractive
highway, too.
Won Fame as Athlete.
At school and in college young Whit
ney's feet marked him for athletics.
Groton. but at Harvard he had time
only for rowing, because he was plug
ging to complete his four years in three
and thus hasten the day when he would
plunge into his chosen profession
finance. He made his freshman eight
in 1908, made the varsity four-oar in
his sophomore year and in 1910 he was
at bow in the great crew that swept
victorious under the old railroad bridge
that warm June evening. 1t seemed
a crying shame TO Harvard'S rowing en-
thusiaSts that natural oarsman like
Whitney should be so lacking in ap-
to complete his course in three years
and thus deprive the crew of his
prowess.
He served only a short apprentice
ship in the extremely dignified banking
house on Devonshire street, in the
shadow of the Old South Church. and
within a year he was on Wall Street,
associated with Potter, Choate &
Prentice. On January 18, 1912, when
on the Stock Exchange. Two years
later ne was admitted to partnership in
the old firm of Cummings & Marckwald
and on May IL, 1916, this firm became
Richard Whitney & Co.
His conquest of Wall Street was in
terrupted by the war. Jack Hallowell,
one of the best loved Harvard men of
his generation, had been selected by
Mr.. Hoover to assume general super
vision of all State food administrations,
and he reached into Wall Street TO
pluck the young senior partner Of
Richard Whitney g. Co. He demurred.
He preferred a more active part in the
war, but the great men at Washington
told him the best soldier was the man
who took orders He took them for
two years, returning 10 Wall Street in
1919 to be promptly elected at the age
Of 81 as member of the governing
board of the exchange. From that day
his advancement in the esteem and in
the affections Of all his associates has
been rapid. When he was named as
vice president in 1928 everybody knew
that through certain solemn processes
he would eventually emerge as the
president.
Keeps on Move Always.
Last year the governing committee
intrusted to him the Craftsmanship of
the committee on business conduct, as
successor TO the late Winthrop Burr
1t is a position scarcely second in i'm
portance to the presidency, for its in
cumbent is charged with protecting the
good name Of the exchange from the
Vaccinations OF INSCRIPTIONS men.
The exchange functions largely
through committees of this sort, and
Dick" Whitney has been member of
so many OF them in recent years that
he has become almost a stranger to
some of his closest friends. If you
should walk into 18 Broad street some
morning at 9 o'clock and inquire for
him-and your errand seemed fairly i'm
portant-the telephone operators would
start the hunt. Now and then they
might get report that he had just been
seen crossing the floor, that he had just
left the directors room of the Corn EX-
change, that he is expected at his own
Office in Is minutes. But you would be
lucky indeed if you were able TO corner
him by noon. The telephone company