John C. Whitehead

John C. Whitehead
Born	John Cunningham Whitehead Template:Birth date Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Died	February 7, 2015(2015-02-07) (aged 92) New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Banker, civil servant
Years active	1943–2015
Known for	Chairman of Goldman Sachs; United States Deputy Secretary of State; chairman of Lower Manhattan Development Corporation
Notable work	A Life In Leadership: From D-Day to Ground Zero

John Cunningham Whitehead (April 2, 1922 – February 7, 2015) was a prominent American banker and civil servant. He served on the board of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation (WTC Memorial Foundation) and held the position of chairman at the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation until his resignation in May 2006.

Early life and education

Whitehead was born in Evanston, Illinois to Winifred K. and Eugene Cunningham Whitehead. When he was two years old, his family moved to Montclair, New Jersey, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 12.

He completed his undergraduate studies at Haverford College in 1943. During World War II, Whitehead served in the United States Navy, commanding an LCVP landing craft at Omaha Beach during the D-Day operation.

In 1947, he earned a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Goldman Sachs

Whitehead launched his professional journey at Goldman Sachs in New York City, initially as an associate in investment banking. He rapidly ascended to partner status and eventually became chairman. After a 38-year career with the firm, he retired in 1984 as co-chairman and co-senior partner.

U.S. Department of State

Between 1985 and 1989, Whitehead served as the United States Deputy Secretary of State under President Reagan's administration, working alongside Secretary George Shultz. For his service, he was honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Reagan. In 1996, he took on the role of chairman for Michael Benjamin’s congressional campaign in New York's 8th congressional district.

Philanthropy, affiliations and awards

In 1986, Whitehead was recognized with the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement, followed by election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1988.

He led several boards including those of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the United Nations Association, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and served on the Harvard Board of Overseers. Additionally, he was a director at the New York Stock Exchange and held the title Chairman Emeritus at the Brookings Institution. Whitehead was also affiliated with Kappa Beta Phi.

With longstanding connections to the Rockefeller family, he occupied leadership roles at institutions founded by Rockefeller such as Rockefeller University, served as chairman emeritus of the Asia Society, contributed to the governance of the Lincoln Center, and participated in the WTC Memorial Foundation. His involvement extended to overseeing investments for the Rockefeller family’s Trust Committee related to the Rockefeller Group, maintaining close ties with David Rockefeller.

As an alumnus of Haverford College, both its campus center and philosophy professorship were named after him.

In 1995, Whitehead made a $10 million gift to establish the John C. Whitehead Fund for Not-for-Profit Management at Harvard Business School. Two years later, he played a key role in founding Seton Hall University's School of Diplomacy and International Relations, which carries his name. He received honorary degrees including an LL.D. from Bates College in 2004 and a Doctor of Humane Letters from The City University of New York in 2009.

Whitehead was inducted into the American Philosophical Society in 1997. An Eagle Scout himself, he earned the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and co-chaired the Greater New York Councils of the Boy Scouts of America, receiving their Silver Buffalo Award posthumously in 2015.

From 2005 until his passing in 2015, he chaired the Financial Services Volunteer Corps (FSVC) and provided guidance to organizations such as Partnership for a Secure America, Global Financial Integrity, America Abroad Media, and Eisenhower Fellowships.

He served on the investment committee for the J. Paul Getty Trust until retiring in 1996 following significant portfolio losses attributed to stock option strategies.

In recognition of his leadership contributions, Whitehead received Synergos' David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award in 2004.

As co-chairman of the AMDeC Foundation, he was instrumental in securing funding for biomedical research facilities across New York State. In 2006, he notably supported Senator Joe Lieberman's independent re-election campaign as a Republican donor.

That same year marked his co-founding of Safe Water Network alongside actor Paul Newman and former ADP chairman Josh Weston to enhance access to clean water worldwide.

At the Reuters Global Finance Summit in 2008, Whitehead cautioned that escalating deficits threatened U.S. national credit and could lead to an economic crisis surpassing even that of the Great Depression.

He was honored with the Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom in 2011 and received an additional Freedom Prize in 2012. Furthermore, Whitehead participated on the Steering Committee of the influential Bilderberg Group.

Publications

In 2005, Whitehead authored a memoir titled A Life In Leadership: From D-Day to Ground Zero.

Selected works

• Whitehead, John C. "Towards a Stronger International Economy." Bissell Paper No. 7. Toronto: University of Toronto, Centre for International Studies, 1988.

Personal life

In 1989, Whitehead wed television journalist Nancy Dickerson, becoming stepfather to her five children. She passed away in 1997. Among his stepchildren is her son, journalist John Dickerson. In 2003, through a private contribution to Covenant House, Whitehead established the Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Community Service Center for Homeless Youth located in Southeast Washington, D.C. Whitehead died at the age of 92 on February 7, 2015, at his residence in New York due to cancer. His previous marriages to Helene Shannon (Sandy) and Jaan Chartener ended in divorce.

He was survived by his wife Cynthia Matthews; three children—Anne, Sarah, and J. Gregory Whitehead; two granddaughters; seven stepchildren; and eighteen step-grandchildren.

External links

• Goldman Sachs biography, gs.com; accessed February 14, 2015.
• Biodata, clarke.edu; accessed February 14, 2015.
• AMDeC Foundation
• John C. Whitehead papers housed at Baker Library Special Collections, Harvard Business School.