Whipple's Penstemon

This is a photo of a Whipple's Penstemon that appeared on the front of a packet of seeds I purchased last year, hoping to grow some of these wild flowers. Unfortunately, our attempts to grow them were unsuccessful. They are a native wildflower of the southwestern United States.

Mary Whipple Leads Women Rowers to Gold in Beijing

I watched it yesterday on TV and have received numerous phone calls and emails reporting the event, so we probably ought to mention it on the Whipple Website's blog.

U.S. Women's eight rowing team received a gold medal yesterday at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The team's coxswain was Mary Whipple of Orangevale, California.

The Family Tree

I think that I shall never see
The finish of a family tree.

As it forever seems to grow
From roots that started long ago
Way back in ancient history times,
In foreign land and distant climes.

William Whipple's House

This is the house of William Whipple, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. (Read his Wikipedia entry.) Today his house, located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is a National Historical Landmark open to the public. We salute William and the other founding fathers for their role in the birth of the United States!

Flag Day

When I realized that today is Flag Day (in the U.S.), I immediately thought of Wayne Whipple and his "Whipple Flag." Blaine Whipple wrote an article on the Whipple Flag some nine years ago. In 1912 (when the Whipple Flag was conceived), federal law allowed more flexibility in flag design. Those of us born after the Flag Code was passed by Congress in 1942 won't remember the Whipple Flag. (From 1942 until Alaska and Hawaii joined the union, the official arrangement of the 48 stars was a 6 x 8 grid.)

Clara Barton

Today Blaine Whipple (see blainewhipple.com) emailed about a web site devoted to Clara Barton's birthplace. You will recall that Clara Barton founded the Red Cross; did you know that she is also a Whipple?