Call Number:

003.069

Repository:

Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections

Extent:

3.6 linear ft. (10 boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

John C. Whitehead papers (HCS.003.069) Quaker and Special Collections, Haverford College, Haverford, PA.

Date:

1938-2015 (inclusive)

Creator:

Whitehead, John C.

Abstract:

John C. Whitehead was a long-time member of Haverford's Board of Managers and Co-Chairman of Goldman Sachs. Materials in this collection represent his time as a student at Haverford, as well as his continued involvement with the College over the years.

John C. Whitehead was born April 2, 1922, in Evanston, IL. His family moved to Montclair, NJ when he was 2. There, he was involved in his local church choir and the Boy Scouts. After graduating from Montclair High School, Whitehead attended Haverford College. While at Haverford, Whitehead participated in athletics, glee club, and wrote for the student newspaper; he also served as class president and president of the student government. He graduated in 1943 as part of an accelerated course to enable students to participate in the war effort. During World War II, Whitehead served in the US Navy, where he learned accounting and participated in the invasions of Normandy, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

After World War II, Whitehead enrolled at Harvard Business School. He joined Goldman Sachs in 1947 as a junior statistician and was promoted to partner nine years later. He became Co-Chairman and Senior Partner in 1976, a position he held until his retirement in 1984. At Goldman, Whitehead helped to set up a business department, and drafted business principles still in use at the company.

In 1985, Whitehead became US Deputy Secretary of State under George Schultz, a position he held until 1989. After his return to New York, he devoted his time to non-profit organizations, including the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the United Nations Association, the Brookings Institution, the National Gallery of Art and the International Rescue Committee. From 1995 to 2000 he served as chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

New York Governor George Pataki asked Whitehead to chair the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation after the attacks of September 11, 2001. The Corporation was in charge of efforts to rebuild and revitalize the former World Trade Center site. Whitehead held this position until 2006.

Whitehead was a member of Haverford's Board of Managers for more than 30 years, and served as its chair from 1972 to 1982. He also served on the Haverford Corporation, and was deeply involved with the College in many ways. He helped to establish the Whitehead Fund for Faculty Development and the John Whitehead Professorship in the Humanities. The Whitehead Internship Program, which provides funds for students to get experience with finance and entrepreneurship, the Whitehead Campus Center, and the Whitehead Circle, which honors those who have given more than $1 million to Haverford, are all named in his honor. Whitehead died February 7, 2015.

Sources: Douglas Martin. "John C. Whitehead, Who Led Effort to Rebuild After 9/11, Dies at 92. New York Times. February 7, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/nyregion/john-c-whitehead-a-leader-in-finance-and-government-dies-at-92.html "John C. Whitehead '43, 1922-2015" Haverford College. February 6, 2015. https://www.haverford.edu/college-communications/news/john-c-whitehead-43-1922-2015 Memorandum to All Goldman Sachs Employees on John C. Whitehead. February 8, 2015. http://www.goldmansachs.com/media-relations/press-releases/current/memorandum-on-whitehead.html

The John C. Whitehead papers include papers from his time before college, while a student at Haverford College, and reflective of his involvement with Haverford in his later life. It also includes visual materials, diplomas, realia, and miscellaneous materials.

The pre-college papers include class materials such as papers, speeches, and notebooks, as well as his senior yearbook and two issues of his high school newspaper. The Haverford student materials include papers written for classes; these are mostly related to economics, Whitehead's major. There are programs, certificates, and club materials from throughout Whitehead's time at Haverford, including graduations, the Triangle Society, and athletic events. The majority of this section is correspondence, most of which is written to Whitehead's parents. These letters record his daily life on campus, including laundry, time spent on class work, extra-curricular activities and club commitments, and thanks for the cookies and other treats his mother sends.

Whitehead continued his involvement with Haverford College after his graduation. He was very involved with the class of 1943, corresponding with other members and attending numerous reunions; materials from these are found in the collection. Also included are materials about events in which Whitehead participated, including the opening of the Whitehead Campus Center, the unveiling of the Whitehead portrait, and several events about Haverford and World War II. The correspondence in this section shows Whitehead's relationship with several Haverford presidents and advancement officers, and his continued deep involvement in College matters after his term as Chair of the Board of Managers. There is also material about specific issues he was involved in, including the set-up of the Whitehead Circle for major donors, the Whitehead professorship, and his honorary degree. There are also clippings and articles about Whitehead and Haverford. The collection also includes a small amount of materials about cricket at Haverford, and some materials reflecting Whitehead's participation in the Haverford Corporation.

Visual materials include photographs of Whitehead and his family, both from Haverford and beyond, and of the New Jersey Devils hockey team, as well as drawings of Haverford College by Nan Park. There are also materials which document Whitehead as an art collector, including catalogs for auctions in which he may have participated, the catalog of his collection, and catalogs of the Christie's sales at which much of his artwork was sold. Several pieces of artwork were removed to the College Art Collection.

Miscellaneous materials include small amounts of materials related to Whitehead's involvement with the boy scouts and his time in the Navy during World War II. It also includes commemorative WWII stamps, commemorative drawings and poems given to Whitehead, certificates, Christmas cards from the George W. Bush Whitehouse, and "The Times of Your Life" with New York Times articles from Whitehead's life. Diplomas include those from high school, Haverford, and honorary degrees from Haverford College and Amherst College. The Realia section includes a number of awards given to Whitehead by Haverford College.

The collection is arranged partly chronologically, around Whitehead's time at Haverford, and partly by type of materials.