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For THE NATIONAL CYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY - James T. White & Co., Publishers, New York

Rev. by J.B.K.       COPY.        8/22/17:: M.A.

WHITNEY, Gertrude Vanderbilt, sculptor, was born in New York city, daughter of Cornelius and Alice Claypoole (Gwynne) Vanderbilt.  Her father (q.v.) was one of the famous Vanderbilt family, and descended from Jan Aertsen Van Der Bilt, a native of the province of Friesland, near Zeyst, the Netherlands, who came to this country in 1650 and established himself at Flatbush, L.I.; from him the line descends through his son Aris and the latter's wife Hildegonde or Hilitje Vandeerbeeck; their son Jacob who first settled on Staten Island, and his wife Neiltje _ _ _ _ _ _; their son Jacob and his wife Mary Sprague; their son Cornelius and his wife Phebe Hand; and their son Cornelius (the Commodore, q.v.) and his wife Sophie Johnson, who were the grandparents of the subject of this sketch.  Mrs. Whitney attended the Brearley School, New York city.  She began to study sculpture under Henry Anderson, and later