Background
Whitney was born in Washington, District of Columbia, the daughter of Flora (née Payne) and businessman and statesman William Collins Whitney.
Whitney was born in Washington, District of Columbia, the daughter of Flora (née Payne) and businessman and statesman William Collins Whitney.
At age 17, she came into a major inheritance following the death of her extremely wealthy father. Her first marriage in 1911 was to Willard Dickerman Straight (1880–1918) an orphan from Oswego, New York, who went to Cornell University and by the age of 30 was a powerful man amongst the international community trading in Peking, China. One of the wealthiest women in America in the early 20th century, Dorothy Whitney Straight was a philanthropist, social activist, supporting women"s trade unions, educational and charitable organisations such as the Junior League of New York, becoming the first president of the Association of Junior Leagues International in 1921.
Records of Dorothy Payne Whitney in New York City reveal the extent of her philanthropic work.
She was a benefactor of the arts, feminist, and pacifist causes as well as social and labour reform. She lent financial support to progressive alternative education plus scholarly research.
In 1937, she created the William C. Whitney Foundation, in her father"s name. lieutenant was through the Cornell connection that in 1920 she met Leonard Knight Elmhirst, from a Yorkshire landowning family, who was then studying agriculture at Cornell University, and was seeking support for Cornell"s Cosmopolitan Club which provided amenities for foreign students.
At Dartington she led the artistic developments, founding Dartington College of Arts and Dartington International Summer School — although she and Leonard also continued their world-wide interests.
On April 26, 1935 she renounced her United States citizenship. She died on December 14, 1968.