Marylou Whitney Socialites Information

Marie Louise "Marylou" Whitney (née Schroeder; December 24, 1925 – July 19, 2019) was an American philanthropist and socialite. A prominent owner and breeder of thoroughbred racehorses, Whitney was notable for "reigning for decades as the social queen of the Saratoga and Lexington racing seasons".

Marylou Schroeder was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of Marie Jean and Harry Schroeder, a bank officer and accountant. She married Frank Hosford, the heir to the John Deere fortune, in 1948. They had four children: Marion Louise "M'Lou", Frank "Hobbs", Henry "Hank", and Heather. After her divorce, Marylou married C.V. Whitney in 1958. They had one daughter, Cornelia. C.V. Whitney died in 1992, leaving Marylou with an estate estimated at $100 million. In October 1997, Marylou married John Hendrickson, a (then) 32-year-old tennis champion and former aide to Governor Walter Joseph Hickel of Alaska. Hendrickson proposed to Marylou in Buckingham Palace.

C.V. Whitney and his family were a major force in Thoroughbred horse racing and have had more stakes winners than any other family in the history of racing in the United States. Whitney dispersed his stock in the 1980s, not wanting to burden his wife with the business. After C.V. Whitney's death, Marylou spent a substantial amount of time and money trying to buy back "Whitney Mares". She purchased Dear Birdie, who proved to be the foundation for "Marylou Whitney Stables". Dear Birdie was named Broodmare of the Year in 2004. She is the dam of Birdstone and champion Bird Town. Marylou Whitney Stables bred, raced and stands Birdstone, the 2004 Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes winner. Birdstone produced two classic winners in his first crop: 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and eventual 2009 Three Year Old Champion Summer Bird. No other stallion has sired two classic winners in his first crop since the late 19th century. Whitney also bred and raced champion filly Bird Town, who holds the record for the fastest Kentucky Oaks in history. Whitney is the only woman to breed and race a Kentucky Oaks winner. In 2003, she was honored by the New York Turf Writers with the Ogden Phipps Award (Top Breeder).Whitney was one of the founding members of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and was the major contributor to the Secretariat Center at the Kentucky Horse Park, where the Marylou Whitney Barn is stationed. She believed in finding retired racehorses new careers and loving homes once their racing careers ended. Attached to each Jockey Club registration paper of every horse she bred was a message indicating how to contact her if one of her horses was in need of a home.

When her colt Birdstone beat Smarty Jones in the 2004 Belmont Stakes, denying Smarty Jones the Triple Crown, she was apologetic. In 2009, when there was a suggestion that an owner could enter another horse to block the filly Rachel Alexandra from running in the Preakness Stakes, Whitney said that if needed, she would withdraw her own horse to make room for the filly.

Whitney was awarded the Eclipse Award of Merit in 2010, one of the Thoroughbred industry's highest honors.

As Whitney was accepting the Eclipse Award of Merit, she was also honored by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo's mother, Matilda, presented Whitney with a citation proclaiming her officially "the Queen of Saratoga." This was the first citation Governor Cuomo had given.

In 2011, Whitney was elected to The Jockey Club.

Whitney donated and fundraised for several medical institutions. Over $44 million was raised for the building and establishment of the Markey Cancer Center in Lexington, Kentucky. As one of the founders, Whitney was a fund raiser and made many television appearances on its behalf.

Whitney and John Hendrickson donated $2.5 million for the Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson Cancer Facility for Women at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center. The building was dedicated in Lexington, Kentucky, in December 2001 by officials from the University of Kentucky and the McDowell Cancer Foundation. The Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson Cancer Facility for Women is 45,465 square feet (4,223.8 m2) and opened in 2002. It provides multidisciplinary ambulatory care for women suffering from breast cancer, gynecologic cancers, and lung, hematologic, gastrointestinal and urologic cancers.

Whitney co-chaired an annual luncheon in Saratoga to raise funds to battle breast cancer for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The Stroke Recovery Center at Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital in Kentucky is also named in honor of Whitney and Hendrickson for their support of that facility. Whitney was one of the first hosts of the annual Cardinal Hill Telethon and was involved with the hospital for over forty years.

The Headley-Whitney Museum received funds from Marylou and John for a new wing that is the home to exhibits from the Smithsonian Institution. The museum is also home of the Cornelia Vanderbilt Whitney Dollhouses and other jewelry owned by Whitney. John Hendrickson funded the new "Marylou Whitney Garden" at the museum as a replica of one of their personal gardens and presented it as an anniversary gift to Marylou. The Doll Houses have raised over half of a million dollars for charities, and the garden is the setting for many weddings and private parties.

Whitney contributed to organizations such as the Kentucky Aviation Museum and Sayre School. The elementary school is named in her honor.

Whitney fell in love with Cady Hill and Saratoga Springs, NY, when C.V. Whitney first brought her there in the late 1950s. Marylou was instrumental in many philanthropic endeavors to support the town and its residents. As a founder of the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame, she helped raise over $1.5 million prior to the 1986 opening. The Hall of Fame is named after Marylou and C.V. Whitney. Marylou has been advocating for the museum since its inception. She was also supportive of the Saratoga Hospital, where the cardiac catheterization lab is named in her honor. Whitney and her husband John also donated $1 million to the Radiation Oncology Center at the Saratoga Hospital. She was a founder of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) and she has helped underwrite the New York City Ballet's summer residency at SPAC. Whitney was awarded the First Star on the Walk of Fame for her timeless efforts. She also supported the Saratoga YMCA, having the newly built pool named in her honor. During the Saratoga Race Meet, she is the Honorary Chair and hosts numerous charities during the season as well.

Whitney suffered a stroke in early 2006, which seriously curtailed her activities in Saratoga during the 2006 meet (late July through early September) where traditionally she was a leading social figure. She and her husband initiated the Backstretch Appreciation program to benefit backstretch workers who work at Saratoga Race Course. Each night an activity is scheduled for the 2,000 employees such as dinners, bingo, movie, karaoke and a learn English night. Whitney and Hendrickson donate much time and money to this effort.

In the mid-1980s, Marylou asked C.V. Whitney that for her birthday he install air conditioning in the Canfield Casino, since she did not want her guests to suffer the heat at her annual ball. Along with the Whitney Gala each year, the building is used for many fundraisers, weddings and other activities that benefit the community.In 2015, Marylou and her husband, John Hendrickson, donated the cost to build Centennial Park in Saratoga Springs as a gift to the city for its 100th Anniversary.

Marylou Whitney was the largest private landowner in the state of New York by owning Whitney Park.

Whitney had ties to the Long Lake area in the Adirondacks. Upon CV's death in 1992, Marylou inherited Whitney Industries, a large gravel and lumber business with 51,000 acres (210 km²) of critical Adirondack real estate. With John Hendrickson taking the lead in negotiations, some 14,700 acres (59 km²) were sold to New York State for $17.1 million, after initially seeking rights to develop 40 exclusive shoreline estates on the western stretch of the Whitney Estate. Environmentalists strongly advocated New York State to purchase 14,700 acres. The acquired lands are called the William C. Whitney Wilderness Area.

On July 16, 2007 Marylou and John donated $250,000 to the Long Lake Library, a gift of five times the library's operating budget. In celebration of the gift, the library will be renamed The Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Long Lake Library. The Marylou Whitney Medical Complex in Long Lake, New York, was also dedicated in her honor for her devotion to their needs. She is also a supporter of the Long Lake United Methodist Church.

In New York City, Whitney was one of the first supporters and largest underwriters of the USO. She was honored as USO Woman of the Year for her financial support and her support during World War II at which time she hosted a radio show called "Private Smiles". The show aired around the world from Kansas City. Her show was reported to have a better rating than her dear friend, Walter Cronkite.

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