Wheelock “Whee” Whitney, Jr. was born on July 30, 1926, and died on May 20, 2016.

He was a Minneapolis businessman, educator, sports team executive and owner, philanthropist, and politician.

He received his education from Phillips Andover and Yale University with George H.W. Bush.

Himself along with Bush were both members of Delta Kappa Epsilon at Yale.

Wheelock Whitney, Jr. was a successful investment banker from 1957 until 1972, when he left the industry to teach at the Carlson School of Business.

He was the nominee for the 1964 Republican U.S. Senate from Minnesota, losing to Eugene McCarthy, and the Republican nominee for governor of Minnesota in 1982, losing to Rudy Perpich.

Irene Hixon became his wife on August 21, 1948.

Together they supported Vernon Johnson, who pioneered the method of using an intervention to confront alcoholics and substance abusers so as to get them professional help for their addictions.

Together design the Johnson Institute after Johnson helped Irene Whitney through an intervention.

In the year 1986, Irene Whitney died of lung cancer.

During 1990, Wheelock Whitney married Penny Lewis, a professional horse trainer, from whom he was divorced in 1994.

During 2005, he married Kathleen A. Blatz, the former Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Wheelock Whitney, Jr. passed away at 89 yrs old.