Benson Kelley Whitney (born August 17, 1956 in Saint Paul, Minnesota) was the

United States Ambassador to Norway The United States Ambassador to Norway (formally the Ambassador of the United States to the Kingdom of Norway) is the official representative of the President and the Government of the United States of America to the King and Government of No ...

from 2006 to 2009.

Early life and education

Whitney grew up in Minnesota branch of the prominent American Whitney family and is of close relation to Vanderbilt family. He graduated high school from

Verde Valley School Verde Valley School (VVS) is an international college preparatory boarding and day school for students in grades 9-12. The school is located in Sedona, Arizona, United States. History Founded by Hamilton and Barbara Warren, Verde Valley School o ...

Sedona, Arizona Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National Fo ...

, in 1974. He graduated with a B.A. from Vassar College magna cum laude in Poughkeepsie,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School magna cum laude. While at Minnesota he was an editor of the ''Law Review'' and member of the Order of the Coif.

Career

Whitney went on to practice law with Popham, Haik, Schnobrich, and Kaufman Ltd. where he specialized in regulatory industries such as health care, cable television and election law. He became the managing general partner of the Gideon Hixon Fund, an evergreen venture capital fund which focused on early-stage technology and health care companies in Minnesota and California. He was elected president of the Minnesota Venture Capital Association. He was also chief executive officer of Whitney Management Company, a private investment advisory firm. Whitney's entrance into politics came in 2004, where he was the Minnesota executive director and finance chair for the Bush-Cheney 2004 presidential campaign, as well as Minnesota finance chair for the Republican National Committee.

Diplomatic service

Benson K. Whitney was nominated as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway by President George W. Bush on September 23, 2005. His nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 28, 2005, and he was sworn in by U.S. Secretary of State

Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 66th Uni ...

on November 28, 2005. He presented his credentials to King Harald V of Norway on January 12, 2006.

Personal life

Whitney has been a trustee, director, chairman or advisor of a number of non-profits including the

Guthrie Theater The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The concept of the theater was born in 1959 in a series of discussions between Sir Tyrone Gut ...

, Wilderness Inquiry, Persephone Fund, Headwaters Fund, Minnesotans for Term Limits, and the Minneapolis Academy. He is a member of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis where he has served as a liturgical minister. Whitney and his wife Mary have four children.U.S. Embassy Oslo ‐ Public Affairs Newsletter
, July 2009, p. 2. Benson is a descendant of the prominent American Whitney family and is of close relation to the Vanderbilt family. His father married Chief Justice

Kathleen A. Blatz Kathleen Ann Blatz (born July 22, 1954) is a former Minnesota judge and legislator. She served as the interim chair of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, which governs the U.S. Bank Stadium. Early life and education Blatz was born in Mi ...

of the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2005, who was only one year his son's senior. Whitney has donated $20,000 to Minnesota Action Network, a Republican independent expenditure committee, in order to help support Tim Pawlenty in the Minnesota gubernatorial election of 2018.

Sources

* US embassy in Norway bio on Whitney
United States Department of State: Ambassadors to NorwayU.S. Embassy Oslo ‐ Public Affairs Newsletter
July 2009

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitney, Benson 1956 births Living people Ambassadors of the United States to Norway People from Saint Paul, Minnesota University of Minnesota Law School alumni Vassar College alumni Whitney family Minnesota Republicans Presidency of George W. Bush