Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney

Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney was born February 20th, 1899 in Roslyn, New York into one of the wealthiest families in America. His father was Harry Payne Whitney, his mother Gertrude Vanderbilt. Most often referred to as C.V. Whitney, he was widely known as Sonny. Being born into a wealthy family, he really didn't have to do anything, yet he did everything. He was set to attend Yale when he turned 18, but with the war raging overseas, he felt that it was his duty to serve. At that time, the minimum age for enlistment into the Army was 19, so Sonny briefly served as a surgeon's apprentice. Still wanting to do more, he asked for his father's permission to enlist in the newly formed U.S. Army Signal Corps, where he hoped to become a pilot. Within a few weeks, he found himself in Texas, first at Love Field, then at Benbrook Field in Fort Worth. He first soloed with slightly less than two hours of flight time and five landings under his belt. Sonny took to flying and the sky was soon his. He completed his flight training, but his desire to fight in the war would not be realized. Seeing the kind of aviator he had become, the Army transferred him to Carruthers Field to become an instructor. He was the youngest and some would say the best flight instructor in the Army Air Corps during World War I. After the war, Sonny attended Yale, graduating in 1922. He went to work at a silver mine in Nevada that was owned by his father. Being the boss's son did not give him a free ride. His first job was that of a mucker, the most menial job that could be taken. He had to prove his worth, and he did. By year's end, he was working in San Francisco, heading the company's department that acquired other mining properties. It was during this time, through shrewd investment and good business sense, he earned his first million dollars. In 1927, with fellow financier William A. Rockefeller, Whitney backed a plan by one trip. Together they established the Aviation Corporation of America, which a year later would become Pan American World Airways. Sonny served as its president and chairman and would personally scout new territory and pushed for expansions that would take Pan American into new countries and onto new continents. Whitney was a sharp businessman and was always looking for new opportunities. With his cousin John Hay Whitney, he helped finance the development of Technicolor and Cinerama. They also co-produced with David O. Selznick a half-dozen pictures, including Gone with the Wind, A Star is Born, and Rebecca. His interest in the natural history of marine animals resulted in the 1938 founding of the world's first oceanarium. Built to film underwater movie scenes, Marine Studios, later named Marineland, was located near St. Augustine, Florida. While not part of the initial design, the group realized that the public was starting to show great interest in the project. They added bleachers and a restaurant and were not disappointed when 30,000 people showed up for the opening day. It became the state's most successful tourist attraction. One day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Whitney enlisted in the Army Air Force. Now too old to be a pilot, he applied for and was assigned to Combat Intelligence. His service during the war ran the full gambit of responsibilities, including service in the Pacific, Indian, and Middle Eastern theaters. He left the Army with the rank of colonel in May 1945, shortly after Germany surrendered. When the Department of the Air Force was created by President Harry S. Truman in 1947, Whitney was asked to serve as the first assistant secretary of the Air Force while working under W. Stuart Symington, which he did from 1947 to 1949. While Symington was a skilled politician, it was Whitney who made things happen and was given credit for the early success of the New Service Branch. He brought to the job his business and wartime experience and his ability to get things done. Truman, who considered Whitney a personal friend, later asked him to serve as Undersecretary of Commerce from 1949 to 1950. He also served Truman on the National Security Council. Sonny was the third generation of Whitney's to be heavily involved in thoroughbred horse racing. The C.V. Whitney Farm in Lexington, Kentucky bred more than 175 stakes winners. One champion, Equipose, is ranked 21st on the top 100 list of U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th century. Whitney also founded the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and served as its first president. A former director of Churchill Downs, he was given a special Eclipse Award in 1985 in recognition of his lifetime contribution to thoroughbred horse racing in the United States. Although Sonny had been married three times prior and had four children, it was not until 1958 when Sonny met Mary Louise Schroeder Horsford, a Mary Lou, and he found true happiness. A television personality and author, she also co-starred in the movie The Missouri Traveler. They shared their life together for 34 years and were blessed with one daughter, Cornelia. When he passed away in 1992, much of the world tipped its hat in solemn appreciation for all he had done and the legacy he had left. It is therefore fitting that Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, who lived his life with a fullness that most men can only dream of, be enshrined into the official Aviation Hall of Fame of the Wealth of Kentucky.