James Whitney Fosburgh

James Whitney Fosburgh (August 1, 1910 – August 23, 1978) was an American painter, art collector, and art historian. In addition to lecturing and writing about art, he served as Chairman of the Special Committee for White House Paintings under both President Kennedy and President Johnson. Fosburgh and his wife, Mary ("Minnie") Cushing, were prominent art collectors in New York City. Early life James Whitney Fosburgh was born in New York on August 1, 1910. He was the son of James Boies Alleyne Fosburgh (1879–1926) and Leila Whitney (d. 1913). After his mother's death in 1913, his father married his mother's younger sister, Eleanor Newton Whitney (1887–1930). His father, who was from Buffalo, New York, was also a Yale graduate. He graduated from Yale University in 1933, and afterwards completed a Master's thesis on the journals of Thomas Sully, receiving his M.A. from Yale University in 1935. In 1955, he joined the governing board of the Yale Art Gallery, later the Yale University Art Gallery. Career During World War II, Fosburgh enlisted as a glider pilot and served with the 101st Airborne Division.