Harry Milner Whittington[2] (March 3, 1927 – February 4, 2023) was an American lawyer, real estate investor, and political figure. He received international media attention following an incident on February 11, 2006, when he was accidentally shot in the face, neck, and torso by then–United States vice president Dick Cheney while hunting quail with two women on a ranch in Kenedy County, Texas, near Corpus Christi.[3]
At age 18, during the final months of World War II, he enrolled in the military. He served until the end of the war. Following his time in the military, he resumed his education, graduating from the University of Texas Law school in 1950.[4]
Government service
Whittington is cited as a critical figure behind Texas' shift from being dominated by the Democratic party to the Republican party in the latter half of the 20th century.[5][6] Though his parents were Democrats, Whittington, attracted to the Republican party's ideals of smaller government and lower taxes, aligned himself more with the GOP. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, he entered into state Republican circles. He accompanied future president George H. W. Bush in his failed 1964 bid to become Texas state senator, and financially backed his son, future president George W. Bush, in his 2000 and 2004 election campaigns.[5]
Over the years, Whittington had been appointed to several committees and commissions, including the Office of Patient Protection Executive Committee (a committee formed by the governor of Texas to ensure the rights of patients), the Texas Public Finance Authority Board, and the Texas Department of Corrections.[7] In the 1980s, as an appointee of Gov. Bill Clements to the Texas Corrections Board, he was instrumental in bringing about reforms necessary for Texas to comply with a federal court order that found the state's treatment of its prisoners unconstitutional.[8] Whittington was named presiding officer of the Texas Funeral Service Commission after a major shakeup of the agency in 1999. He was appointed by then-Texas GovernorGeorge W. Bush and re-appointed in 2002 by Governor Rick Perry.[9]
Legal cases and land dispute
In 1959, Whittington challenged Austin's involvement in the controversial Federal Urban Renewal Program which enabled the government to seize the property of low-income residents. Following a city council election, Whittington contested the vote in court and after a ten day trial, the election was deemed void by a judge due to the high number of disqualified votes. In 1984, he also legally contested the city over its attempt to enforce invalid ordinances against various downtown properties he owned.[4]
In 2000, Whittington began fighting a legal case involving the eminent domain seizure of a city block of property he owned in Austin. In 2013, after various court proceedings, a Texas district court awarded the title of the property to the city of Austin and ordered the city to pay Whittington $10,500,000 in compensation for the property.[10][11]
On February 11, 2006, Whittington was accidentally shot by then-United States vice president Dick Cheney during a quail hunting trip, at a ranch in south Texas. Most of the damage from the shotgun blast was to the right side of his body, including damage to his face, neck, and chest; causing a collapsed lung. He was taken to Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital by ambulance and put into intensive care. The accident was not announced in the news media until the White House confirmed the incident to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times approximately 12 hours after the incident.[12]
On February 14, some of the lead birdshot lodged in Whittington's heart caused a minor heart attack.[13][14] Doctors did not remove all the pellets from Whittington's body. They estimated that there were "less than 150 or 200" pellets lodged in his body immediately after the shooting,[15] and about 30 pieces of shot were expected to remain inside him for the rest of his life.[14] On February 17, Whittington made a public statement: "We all assume certain risks in whatever we do. Whatever activities we pursue and regardless of how experienced, careful and dedicated we are, accidents do and will happen."[16] After being released from the hospital, he issued the following statement: "My family and I are deeply sorry for all that Vice President Cheney and his family have had to go through this week."[14]
Following the incident, Whittington returned to private life and refused many media offers for interviews.[14] In an October 2010 issue of The Washington Post, he broke his silence about the shooting.[14] Whittington told the paper that although many media outlets had described Cheney and him as "good friends", the pair had only met one another three times in 30 years, and had never been hunting before.[17] The Washington Post article also said that Cheney had violated "two basic rules of hunting safety": he failed to ensure that he had a clear shot before firing, and fired without being able to see blue sky beneath his target.[17] The paper also reported that Cheney had still neither publicly nor privately apologized to Whittington for the shooting.[18]
Personal life and death
Whittington married Mercedes Baker in 1950, and they had four daughters.[19] He died at his home in Austin on February 4, 2023, at age 95, from complications of a fall he sustained earlier in the year.[19][20]
References
^Oladipo, Gloria (February 7, 2023). "Texas lawyer shot by Dick Cheney on 2006 hunting trip dies aged 95". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
^"Texas Cops Release Cheney Shooting Report". The Smoking Gun. February 16, 2006.
^ abcd"Obituaries in Austin, TX | Austin American-Statesman". statesman.com. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
^ abcDey, Sneha (February 6, 2023). "Harry Whittington, longtime Texas GOP supporter shot by Dick Cheney in a 2006 hunting accident, dies". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
^"Harry Whittington, Texas attorney shot by Dick Cheney during 2006 hunting trip, dies". Chicago Sun-Times. February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
^Pope, Colin. "Political appeal". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
^Kornblut, Anne (February 13, 2006). "Cheney Shoots Fellow Hunter in Mishap on a Texas Ranch". The New York Times.
^Perry reappoints Whittington to funeral commission Austin Business Journal. August 6, 2002.
^"Whittington v. Austin". 456 S.W.3d 692 (Tex. App. 2015).
^"Whittington prevails over city again in battle for downtown lot". Austin Monitor. February 19, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
^Allen, Mike (February 13, 2006). . Time magazine. Archived from the original on February 21, 2006.
^"Cheney shooting accident has political echoes". NBC News. February 14, 2006.
^ abcdeFarhi, Paul (October 14, 2010). "Since Dick Cheney shot him, Harry Whittington's aim has been to move on". Washington Post. p. 1.
^Newman, Maria (February 14, 2006). "Hunter Shot by Cheney Suffers Mild Heart Attack". The New York Times.
^"Man shot by Cheney: 'Accidents do and will happen'". CNN. February 20, 2006.
^ abFarhi, Paul (October 14, 2010). "Since Dick Cheney shot him, Harry Whittington's aim has been to move on". Washington Post. p. 4.
^Farhi, Paul (October 14, 2010). "Since Dick Cheney shot him, Harry Whittington's aim has been to move on". Washington Post. p. 5.
^ abMartin, Douglas (February 7, 2023). "Harry Whittington, Texas Lawyer Shot by Cheney, Dies at 95". The New York Times. Vol. 172, no. 59692. p. A20. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
^Dey, Sneha (February 6, 2023). "Harry Whittington, longtime Texas GOP supporter shot by Dick Cheney in a hunting accident, dies". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
External links
"Last Rights" in the Austin Chronicle. October 5, 2001.
"Whittington named committee head" in the Austin Business Journal, July 8, 2004.
"Cheney Accidentally Shoots Fellow Hunter", ABC News, February 12, 2006
at newsmeat.com
February 11, 2023
harry, whittington, this, article, about, texas, attorney, other, uses, disambiguation, harry, milner, whittington, march, 1927, february, 2023, american, lawyer, real, estate, investor, political, figure, received, international, media, attention, following, . This article is about the Texas attorney For other uses see Harry Whittington disambiguation Harry Milner Whittington 2 March 3 1927 February 4 2023 was an American lawyer real estate investor and political figure He received international media attention following an incident on February 11 2006 when he was accidentally shot in the face neck and torso by then United States vice president Dick Cheney while hunting quail with two women on a ranch in Kenedy County Texas near Corpus Christi 3 Harry WhittingtonWhittington in 2005 1 BornHarry Milner Whittington 1927 03 03 March 3 1927Henderson Texas U S DiedFebruary 4 2023 2023 02 04 aged 95 Austin Texas U S Alma materUniversity of Texas at AustinOccupation s Lawyer Real Estate Investor Political FigureKnown forDick Cheney hunting accidentSpouseMercedes Baker m 1950 wbr Children4 Contents 1 Early life 2 Government service 3 Legal cases and land dispute 4 Hunting incident 5 Personal life and death 6 References 7 External linksEarly life EditHarry Milner Whittington was born to Roy and Clara Whittington on March 3 1927 in Henderson Texas 4 He was born in a Democratic family 5 After attending various local public schools and becoming an Eagle Scout he attended the University of Texas at Austin in 1944 joining the Phi Delta Theta fraternity While enrolled in university he worked in a men s clothing store and a booking agent for dance bands 4 At age 18 during the final months of World War II he enrolled in the military He served until the end of the war Following his time in the military he resumed his education graduating from the University of Texas Law school in 1950 4 Government service EditWhittington is cited as a critical figure behind Texas shift from being dominated by the Democratic party to the Republican party in the latter half of the 20th century 5 6 Though his parents were Democrats Whittington attracted to the Republican party s ideals of smaller government and lower taxes aligned himself more with the GOP After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin he entered into state Republican circles He accompanied future president George H W Bush in his failed 1964 bid to become Texas state senator and financially backed his son future president George W Bush in his 2000 and 2004 election campaigns 5 Over the years Whittington had been appointed to several committees and commissions including the Office of Patient Protection Executive Committee a committee formed by the governor of Texas to ensure the rights of patients the Texas Public Finance Authority Board and the Texas Department of Corrections 7 In the 1980s as an appointee of Gov Bill Clements to the Texas Corrections Board he was instrumental in bringing about reforms necessary for Texas to comply with a federal court order that found the state s treatment of its prisoners unconstitutional 8 Whittington was named presiding officer of the Texas Funeral Service Commission after a major shakeup of the agency in 1999 He was appointed by then Texas Governor George W Bush and re appointed in 2002 by Governor Rick Perry 9 Legal cases and land dispute EditIn 1959 Whittington challenged Austin s involvement in the controversial Federal Urban Renewal Program which enabled the government to seize the property of low income residents Following a city council election Whittington contested the vote in court and after a ten day trial the election was deemed void by a judge due to the high number of disqualified votes In 1984 he also legally contested the city over its attempt to enforce invalid ordinances against various downtown properties he owned 4 In 2000 Whittington began fighting a legal case involving the eminent domain seizure of a city block of property he owned in Austin In 2013 after various court proceedings a Texas district court awarded the title of the property to the city of Austin and ordered the city to pay Whittington 10 500 000 in compensation for the property 10 11 Hunting incident EditMain article Dick Cheney hunting accident On February 11 2006 Whittington was accidentally shot by then United States vice president Dick Cheney during a quail hunting trip at a ranch in south Texas Most of the damage from the shotgun blast was to the right side of his body including damage to his face neck and chest causing a collapsed lung He was taken to Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital by ambulance and put into intensive care The accident was not announced in the news media until the White House confirmed the incident to the Corpus Christi Caller Times approximately 12 hours after the incident 12 On February 14 some of the lead birdshot lodged in Whittington s heart caused a minor heart attack 13 14 Doctors did not remove all the pellets from Whittington s body They estimated that there were less than 150 or 200 pellets lodged in his body immediately after the shooting 15 and about 30 pieces of shot were expected to remain inside him for the rest of his life 14 On February 17 Whittington made a public statement We all assume certain risks in whatever we do Whatever activities we pursue and regardless of how experienced careful and dedicated we are accidents do and will happen 16 After being released from the hospital he issued the following statement My family and I are deeply sorry for all that Vice President Cheney and his family have had to go through this week 14 Following the incident Whittington returned to private life and refused many media offers for interviews 14 In an October 2010 issue of The Washington Post he broke his silence about the shooting 14 Whittington told the paper that although many media outlets had described Cheney and him as good friends the pair had only met one another three times in 30 years and had never been hunting before 17 The Washington Post article also said that Cheney had violated two basic rules of hunting safety he failed to ensure that he had a clear shot before firing and fired without being able to see blue sky beneath his target 17 The paper also reported that Cheney had still neither publicly nor privately apologized to Whittington for the shooting 18 Personal life and death EditWhittington married Mercedes Baker in 1950 and they had four daughters 19 He died at his home in Austin on February 4 2023 at age 95 from complications of a fall he sustained earlier in the year 19 20 References Edit Oladipo Gloria February 7 2023 Texas lawyer shot by Dick Cheney on 2006 hunting trip dies aged 95 The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved February 10 2023 Texas Bar Journal 1950 Texas Cops Release Cheney Shooting Report The Smoking Gun February 16 2006 a b c d Obituaries in Austin TX Austin American Statesman statesman com Retrieved February 9 2023 a b c Dey Sneha February 6 2023 Harry Whittington longtime Texas GOP supporter shot by Dick Cheney in a 2006 hunting accident dies The Texas Tribune Retrieved February 9 2023 Harry Whittington Texas attorney shot by Dick Cheney during 2006 hunting trip dies Chicago Sun Times February 8 2023 Retrieved February 9 2023 Pope Colin Political appeal Austin Business Journal Retrieved September 20 2022 Kornblut Anne February 13 2006 Cheney Shoots Fellow Hunter in Mishap on a Texas Ranch The New York Times Perry reappoints Whittington to funeral commission Austin Business Journal August 6 2002 Whittington v Austin 456 S W 3d 692 Tex App 2015 Whittington prevails over city again in battle for downtown lot Austin Monitor February 19 2010 Retrieved February 7 2023 Allen Mike February 13 2006 The Man Dick Cheney Shot Time magazine Archived from the original on February 21 2006 Cheney shooting accident has political echoes NBC News February 14 2006 a b c d e Farhi Paul October 14 2010 Since Dick Cheney shot him Harry Whittington s aim has been to move on Washington Post p 1 Newman Maria February 14 2006 Hunter Shot by Cheney Suffers Mild Heart Attack The New York Times Man shot by Cheney Accidents do and will happen CNN February 20 2006 a b Farhi Paul October 14 2010 Since Dick Cheney shot him Harry Whittington s aim has been to move on Washington Post p 4 Farhi Paul October 14 2010 Since Dick Cheney shot him Harry Whittington s aim has been to move on Washington Post p 5 a b Martin Douglas February 7 2023 Harry Whittington Texas Lawyer Shot by Cheney Dies at 95 The New York Times Vol 172 no 59692 p A20 Retrieved February 6 2023 Dey Sneha February 6 2023 Harry Whittington longtime Texas GOP supporter shot by Dick Cheney in a hunting accident dies The Texas Tribune Retrieved February 6 2023 External links Edit Lawyer wins another round in eminent domain case against the city in the Austin American Statesman January 28 2006 Last Rights in the Austin Chronicle October 5 2001 Whittington named committee head in the Austin Business Journal July 8 2004 Cheney Accidentally Shoots Fellow Hunter ABC News February 12 2006 Harry Whittington s campaign contributions at newsmeat com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Harry Whittington amp oldid 1138721672, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
