Sportsman Philanthropist, An elegant figure with an extraordinary family history, Whitney Tower became one of the most visible leaders in thoroughbred racing both as a newspaper and magazine writer and later as an official of the sport's archives. He wrote about the golden years of racing, of Calumet Farm's glory and of great horses like Citation, Kelso, Dr. Fager and Secretariat, and he later helped to create a museum in Saratoga Springs, where their history would be assured.
After a 22-year career as the turf editor of Sports Illustrated and five more years as turf editor of Classic magazine, he spent eight years as president of the National Museum of Racing across Union Avenue from Saratoga Race Course. Then he spent 10 more years as chairman, supervising a major expansion and new directions for both the museum and the Hall of Fame.
Mr. Tower was born in Roslyn, N.Y., on June 30, 1923, the son of Roderick and Flora Payne Whitney Tower. He was a grandson of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, founder of the Whitney Museum, and of Charlemagne Tower, president of the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad and United States Ambassador to Germany, Austria and Russia. And he was a great-great-grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, the railroad tycoon and founder of the family dynasty.
As a young man, Whitney Tower attended St. George's School in Newport, R.I., and Harvard College, graduating in 1945 with a bachelor's degree in English. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Forces, flying reconnaissance missions over North Africa, Italy and Germany.
He turned to journalism in 1948 as a sports reporter on The Cincinnati Enquirer. Then in 1954 he became turf editor of the new Sports Illustrated magazine, covering racing events around the world.
He won the Thoroughbred Racing Associations award for magazine writing in 1967 and the Eclipse Award for magazine writing in 1976 and 1977.
''He was from the old school,'' George Plimpton, the writer and editor, recalled yesterday. ''I've seen pictures of him in top hat attending the races. There was a certain elegance in his style. I remember that Sports Illustrated used to invite famous writers to go to the Kentucky Derby and write their impressions. John Marquand and William Faulkner did it one year, and I recall that Faulkner wrote his story on Western Union paper. And Whitney was always put in charge of the care and feeding of these people.''
Mr. Tower was also the author of two books: ''The Art of Race Riding,'' with Eddie Arcaro, and ''Saratoga, The Place and the People.''
After a 22-year career as the turf editor of Sports Illustrated and five more years as turf editor of Classic magazine, he spent eight years as president of the National Museum of Racing across Union Avenue from Saratoga Race Course. Then he spent 10 more years as chairman, supervising a major expansion and new directions for both the museum and the Hall of Fame.
Mr. Tower was born in Roslyn, N.Y., on June 30, 1923, the son of Roderick and Flora Payne Whitney Tower. He was a grandson of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, founder of the Whitney Museum, and of Charlemagne Tower, president of the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad and United States Ambassador to Germany, Austria and Russia. And he was a great-great-grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, the railroad tycoon and founder of the family dynasty.
As a young man, Whitney Tower attended St. George's School in Newport, R.I., and Harvard College, graduating in 1945 with a bachelor's degree in English. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Forces, flying reconnaissance missions over North Africa, Italy and Germany.
He turned to journalism in 1948 as a sports reporter on The Cincinnati Enquirer. Then in 1954 he became turf editor of the new Sports Illustrated magazine, covering racing events around the world.
He won the Thoroughbred Racing Associations award for magazine writing in 1967 and the Eclipse Award for magazine writing in 1976 and 1977.
''He was from the old school,'' George Plimpton, the writer and editor, recalled yesterday. ''I've seen pictures of him in top hat attending the races. There was a certain elegance in his style. I remember that Sports Illustrated used to invite famous writers to go to the Kentucky Derby and write their impressions. John Marquand and William Faulkner did it one year, and I recall that Faulkner wrote his story on Western Union paper. And Whitney was always put in charge of the care and feeding of these people.''
Mr. Tower was also the author of two books: ''The Art of Race Riding,'' with Eddie Arcaro, and ''Saratoga, The Place and the People.''
Sportsman Philanthropist, An elegant figure with an extraordinary family history, Whitney Tower became one of the most visible leaders in thoroughbred racing both as a newspaper and magazine writer and later as an official of the sport's archives. He wrote about the golden years of racing, of Calumet Farm's glory and of great horses like Citation, Kelso, Dr. Fager and Secretariat, and he later helped to create a museum in Saratoga Springs, where their history would be assured.
After a 22-year career as the turf editor of Sports Illustrated and five more years as turf editor of Classic magazine, he spent eight years as president of the National Museum of Racing across Union Avenue from Saratoga Race Course. Then he spent 10 more years as chairman, supervising a major expansion and new directions for both the museum and the Hall of Fame.
Mr. Tower was born in Roslyn, N.Y., on June 30, 1923, the son of Roderick and Flora Payne Whitney Tower. He was a grandson of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, founder of the Whitney Museum, and of Charlemagne Tower, president of the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad and United States Ambassador to Germany, Austria and Russia. And he was a great-great-grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, the railroad tycoon and founder of the family dynasty.
As a young man, Whitney Tower attended St. George's School in Newport, R.I., and Harvard College, graduating in 1945 with a bachelor's degree in English. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Forces, flying reconnaissance missions over North Africa, Italy and Germany.
He turned to journalism in 1948 as a sports reporter on The Cincinnati Enquirer. Then in 1954 he became turf editor of the new Sports Illustrated magazine, covering racing events around the world.
He won the Thoroughbred Racing Associations award for magazine writing in 1967 and the Eclipse Award for magazine writing in 1976 and 1977.
''He was from the old school,'' George Plimpton, the writer and editor, recalled yesterday. ''I've seen pictures of him in top hat attending the races. There was a certain elegance in his style. I remember that Sports Illustrated used to invite famous writers to go to the Kentucky Derby and write their impressions. John Marquand and William Faulkner did it one year, and I recall that Faulkner wrote his story on Western Union paper. And Whitney was always put in charge of the care and feeding of these people.''
Mr. Tower was also the author of two books: ''The Art of Race Riding,'' with Eddie Arcaro, and ''Saratoga, The Place and the People.''
After a 22-year career as the turf editor of Sports Illustrated and five more years as turf editor of Classic magazine, he spent eight years as president of the National Museum of Racing across Union Avenue from Saratoga Race Course. Then he spent 10 more years as chairman, supervising a major expansion and new directions for both the museum and the Hall of Fame.
Mr. Tower was born in Roslyn, N.Y., on June 30, 1923, the son of Roderick and Flora Payne Whitney Tower. He was a grandson of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, founder of the Whitney Museum, and of Charlemagne Tower, president of the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad and United States Ambassador to Germany, Austria and Russia. And he was a great-great-grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, the railroad tycoon and founder of the family dynasty.
As a young man, Whitney Tower attended St. George's School in Newport, R.I., and Harvard College, graduating in 1945 with a bachelor's degree in English. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Forces, flying reconnaissance missions over North Africa, Italy and Germany.
He turned to journalism in 1948 as a sports reporter on The Cincinnati Enquirer. Then in 1954 he became turf editor of the new Sports Illustrated magazine, covering racing events around the world.
He won the Thoroughbred Racing Associations award for magazine writing in 1967 and the Eclipse Award for magazine writing in 1976 and 1977.
''He was from the old school,'' George Plimpton, the writer and editor, recalled yesterday. ''I've seen pictures of him in top hat attending the races. There was a certain elegance in his style. I remember that Sports Illustrated used to invite famous writers to go to the Kentucky Derby and write their impressions. John Marquand and William Faulkner did it one year, and I recall that Faulkner wrote his story on Western Union paper. And Whitney was always put in charge of the care and feeding of these people.''
Mr. Tower was also the author of two books: ''The Art of Race Riding,'' with Eddie Arcaro, and ''Saratoga, The Place and the People.''
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