Mrs. Helen Hay Whitney (1875-1944) was the daughter of United States Secretary of State (and former U. S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom) John Hay. In 1902, she married William Payne Whitney (1876-1927), a wealthy American businessman and member of the influential Whitney family. Their Stanford White-designed house at 972 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, was a wedding gift from his maternal uncle, Oliver Hazard Payne. The couple also had an estate, Greentree, in Manhasset, New York. Their son, John Hay Whitney, served as the Ambassador to the U. K. Daughter Joan, an avid sportsperson, was the first owner of the New York Mets Major League Baseball team. Before her marriage Helen Hay authored a book of poetry: The Rose of Dawn: A Tale of the South Sea (1901).