Flora Payne Whitney

Flora Payne Whitney, also known as Flora Whitney Miller (July 27, 1897 – July 18, 1986), was an American artist, socialite, art collector, and patron of the arts.

Early life Flora Payne Whitney was born on July 27, 1897, and raised in Manhattan. Her father was Harry Payne Whitney (1872–1930), a sportsman and heir to the Whitney family fortune, and her mother was sculptor Gertrude Vanderbilt (1875–1942), heiress to a substantial part of the Vanderbilt family fortune. She attended Brearley School in New York and Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia, where she met and became close lifelong friends with the artist Kay Sage.

Career During World War I, she worked with Ruth Hanna McCormick, wife of Senator Joseph M. McCormick, at the Washington headquarters of the Republican Women's National Executive Committee. She was escorted by Quentin Roosevelt, son of President Theodore Roosevelt, although her father did not approve of young Roosevelt. After the United States entered World War I, Quentin enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Service, and became engaged to Whitney before leaving for duty overseas. The glamorous young couple never married, since Quentin was killed in aerial combat in July, 1918. Love letters exchanged between Flora and Quentin while he was at the front were featured in Edward Renehan's book about TR's sons, The Lion's Pride: Theodore Roosevelt and His Family in Peace and War.

In 1920, Whitney married Roderick Tower at St. Bartholomew's Church, New York. He was an aviator who had trained with Quentin Roosevelt at Mineola air field on Long Island. Tower was also a stockbroker, and son of U.S. Ambassador to Russia and Germany Charlemagne Tower Jr. The marriage was a failure, however, due to Tower's drinking and infidelity. Before their divorce in August 1925, they had two children together: Pamela Tower (1921-2013), who married Jay Ketchum Secor (1912–1960) in 1941. They divorced in 1950 and she later married Thomas LeBoutillier (1913–1979) Whitney Tower (1923–1999)

In 1927, Whitney married George Macculloch Miller III (d. 1972) in Cairo, Egypt. Miller was an artist and member of the architectural firm of Noel & Miller, from 1930 to 1948,

Wealth Following her father's death in 1930, Flora inherited $1,000,000 outright from his estate, as well as the income from a Trust Fund valued at approximately $15,000,000, which would be payable to her children after her death.

Descendants Whitney's grandson John LeBoutillier is a political columnist and commentator and a one-term U.S. Representative representing a Long Island district. Her great-grandson, Josiah Hornblower (son of Whitney Tower's daughter, Alexandra Tower Hornblower Thorne) was featured in the documentary Born Rich.

Family tree