Laurence F. Whittemore

Laurence Frederick Whittemore
Born	(1894-06-08) June 8, 1894 Pembroke, New Hampshire, U.S.
Died	August 10, 1960(1960-08-10) (aged 66)
Occupation	Business executive
Years active	1913–1960
Known for	President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, and Brown Company

Laurence Frederick Whittemore (June 8, 1894 – August 10, 1960) was a prominent American executive who held the position of president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 1946 to 1948, led the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad between 1948 and 1949, and headed the Brown Company from 1950 until 1955.

Early life

Born in Pembroke, New Hampshire to Frederick Brewster Whittemore and Candice (Norton) Whittemore, Laurence lost his parents at the age of seven and was subsequently raised by an uncle on a farm. He served as town moderator in Pembroke for a quarter-century and represented the community in the New Hampshire State Legislature during the years 1925 to 1927.

Whittemore completed his education at Pembroke Academy in 1912 but did not pursue a college degree. Nevertheless, he was awarded honorary degrees by institutions such as Dartmouth College, University of New Hampshire, New England College, Lowell Textile Institute, and Suffolk University. He contributed as a trustee to multiple educational organizations and participated on a Rhodes Scholarship selection panel.

Business career

Whittemore’s professional journey commenced in 1913 at the Concord car shop of the Boston and Maine Railroad. Following his service in World War I, he briefly returned to B&M before taking a position as a municipal accountant with the New Hampshire Tax Commission. In 1922, he advanced to general manager at Fellows & Sons Lumber Co., where he supervised mills and industrial activities. Between 1925 and 1929, he resumed duties on the New Hampshire Tax Commission.

In 1929, Whittemore rejoined Boston and Maine as a general representative and progressed to become assistant to B&M president Edward S. French in 1932. He assumed comparable responsibilities at the Maine Central Railroad while managing public relations and industrial growth for both railroads. Additionally, he held executive roles within subsidiaries including the Boston Garden-Arena Corporation and Mount Washington Cog Railway. Whittemore played a key role in establishing Boston-Maine Airways, serving as its vice president until regulatory shifts curtailed railroad participation in aviation.

Elected as a Class B director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston in 1944, Whittemore ascended to its presidency two years later. In August 1948, he took on the presidency of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, resigning shortly thereafter from his Federal Reserve post. He relinquished his role at New Haven in December 1949 to join the Brown Company as president starting January 1, 1950, later becoming chairman of the board in 1952. During his tenure, Brown diversified its product range to include items such as chloroform and shoe inserts.

In 1952, Whittemore was appointed president of the New England Council, an influential regional business organization. By 1955, he served as special advisor to President Dwight D. Eisenhower during the multilateral trade discussions at the Geneva Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

His directorships extended across various companies including Amoskeag Company, New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, National Life Insurance Co., Peerless Insurance, H. P. Hood and Sons, State Street Bank and Trust Company, and Boston and Albany Railroad. Furthermore, Whittemore was a trustee for both the Brookings Institution and the New Hampshire Historical Society, while chairing the board of the Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center.

Later life

In 1955, Whittemore stepped down from his role as president of the Brown Company but continued to serve as chairman until declining health prompted his resignation in 1960. Soon thereafter, the University of New Hampshire honored him by naming the Whittemore School of Business and Economics after him. He died on August 10, 1960, at Concord Hospital.