Walter Channing Jr.
Walter Channing Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 September 1940 Dover, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | 12 March 2015 (aged 74) |
| Occupation(s) | Wood sculptor, winemaker, venture capital investor |
| Known for | Founder of Channing Daughters Winery; wood sculptures |
Walter Channing Jr. (September 23, 1940 – March 12, 2015) was a wood sculptor, winemaker, and venture capital investor. He founded Channing Daughters Winery located in Bridgehampton, New York, where he planted his initial Chardonnay vines in 1982.
Early life and education
Born in Dover, Massachusetts to Walter Channing, a medical doctor, and Eleine Taylor Channing, an artist and fashion designer, Walter Jr. grew up alongside his sister, Cornelia "Nina" Channing, who later gained recognition as an endocrinology researcher.
Having been raised near forested areas, he cultivated an early fascination with trees and even operated a tree-surgery enterprise during his youth. His expertise with chainsaws notably impressed the Dean of Freshman during his Harvard interview, which contributed to his acceptance.
Channing completed his studies at Milton Academy and later at Harvard University, where he earned both a B.A. and an M.B.A. In his sophomore year, he faced a brief suspension for running a lucrative condom-selling venture but returned to finish his education after touring Europe on a BMW motorcycle.
Art
Channing’s childhood passion for trees and woodworking resurfaced while working on Rector Street in Lower Manhattan, where he rescued discarded long-leaf yellow pine timbers from a dismantled pier. He repurposed these materials into large sculptures resembling pencils, books, benches, and other forms that emphasized the natural qualities of wood.
Later, he gathered fallen trees and stumps from an East Hampton landfill, noting that “no one ever does anything with a stump,” yet finding them captivating. His first significant creation was a massive golf pencil carved from a telephone-pole-sized trunk that had washed ashore near Fowler Beach Lane, featuring the inscription "THE MAIDSTONE CLUB." Due to its immense size, it was carved on-site but was stolen before he could reclaim it.
After acquiring a potato farm in Bridgehampton in 1977, Channing salvaged uprooted oak trees and experimented by planting some upside-down, challenging conventional views of trees. He estimated that only one out of every hundred trees was suitable for this treatment; the remainder were transformed into pillars, pilasters, wood-carved tapestries, hundreds of pencils, and sculptures such as an octopus and sphinx.
In a 1994 interview with The Paris Review, Channing described wood as a medium full of surprises that demands adaptability: “A sculpture can change from one thing to another... I never scavenge a large piece of wood knowing what I’m going to do with it. After being with the big piece of wood for a while, the idea occurs.”
His artwork has been displayed at numerous venues including the OK Harris Gallery, Webb and Parsons Gallery, Handschin Gallery in Basel, Indianapolis Museum of Fine Arts, Root Art Center at Hamilton College, Squibb Gallery in Princeton, Elaine Benson and Louise Himmelfarb Galleries, the Louis K. Meisel Gallery at Outward Bound, and the Century Association's Sculpture Show in New York City.
In a 1983 profile by New York Magazine, Channing acknowledged his commercial achievements but stressed his dedication to art: “At times, I like making money... But the only thing I really think is important is art... I thirst for the challenge of becoming an important sculptor. There’s no chance for immortality as a businessman.”
Business
Channing initiated his professional journey in computer programming at Honeywell and Raytheon.
In 1968, alongside Barry Weinberg, he established Channing, Weinberg & Co., Inc., a management consulting enterprise concentrated on the pharmaceutical, diagnostic, medical device, and biotechnology industries. This firm emerged as a prominent strategic advisor within the health-equipment sector and published In Vivo, a bi-monthly magazine dedicated to the intersection of business and medicine.
By 1983, Channing and Weinberg had founded C.W. Group, a venture capital firm focused exclusively on emerging medical technologies. At its launch, it stood as the largest venture capital fund devoted solely to healthcare investments.
Throughout his career, Channing held directorships in numerous portfolio companies such as GMIS Inc., VelQuest Corporation, Plexxikon, and Care Advantage. Additionally, he was involved with the board of Outward Bound and served in advisory capacities for Brigham and Women's Hospital’s Venture Advisory Committee as well as the Harvard Chan Research Center on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.
Personal life
While an undergraduate at Harvard in 1963, Channing wed Susan Stockard, an aspiring actress then attending Radcliffe. Although their marriage ended in divorce in 1967, Stockard continued to use the surname professionally as Stockard Channing. His second marriage was to Rosina Secco, a graphic designer from Uruguay; they had two daughters before her passing from cancer in 1987.
In 1990, Channing married Molly Seagrave Channing. Together, they raised four daughters: Francesca, Isabella, Sylvia, and Cornelia "Nina" Channing.
His family heritage includes distinguished ancestors such as William Ellery Channing, a founder of American Unitarianism; the transcendentalist poet William Ellery Channing; and William Ellery, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. One notable forebear, Walter Channing, was an innovator in obstetric anesthesia and co-established Boston Lying-In Hospital (now Brigham and Women's), which provided medical care to underserved women.