Polly Whittier

Polly Whittier was a member of the Whittier family via her father, a Union Army officer in the US Civil war. The well-known poet John Greenleaf Whittier was also a member.

At 10 she moved to New York but shortly thereafter was sent to Europe, where she was educated. At the time of the 1900 Olympic golf event, she was a US citizen but was living in Switzerland and playing her golf at the St. Moritz Golf Club. She spent her summer, however, at the Deauville home of her sister and brother-in-law, the Russian IOC Member, Sergey, Prince Beloselsky-Belotsersky. Her score of 49 in the Olympics trailed only Margaret Abbott.

Returning to America, Polly Whittier was married in 1904 to Ernest Iselin, who sat on the board of many different companies. Always interested in philanthropy, his wealth enabled Mrs. Iselin to establish in 1933 the Generosity Thrift Shop, which sold various gifts to aid many needy organizations, including the City Hospital, the Children’s Aid Society, the Harlem Hospital and the Manhattan Girl Scouts.