Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney - Government and Military Service

Government and Military Service

Having spent considerable time in France, C.V. Whitney's mother, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, became involved supporting the Allied forces during World War I. She dedicated a great deal of her time and money to various relief efforts, establishing and maintaining a hospital in France for wounded soldiers. Eighteen-year-old C.V. Whitney joined the United States Army, serving as a cadet in the Signal Corps, rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant.

With the onset of American involvement in World War II, Whitney volunteered again for service, rising to the rank of colonel with the United States Army Air Forces. At the end of the war, C.V. Whitney served under U.S. President Harry S. Truman as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (1947–49) and Undersecretary of Commerce (1949–50). He was also appointed President Truman's special envoy to England, Luxembourg, Spain and Italy.