John Hendrickson

John F. Hendrickson was the owner and president of Whitney Industries, a logging company, and Marylou Whitney Stables, LLC, a Thoroughbred horse farm and racing operation.

He was the president of The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, and had served as a special advisor to the New York Racing Association Board for Saratoga Springs.

Hendrickson had worked diligently on improving the lives of the backstretch workers at Saratoga Race Course, and in 2008, he and Marylou Whitney implemented the Summer Backstretch Appreciation Events.  The program continues to provide daily activities, meals and entertainment throughout the Saratoga summer racing meet each summer.

In 2020, a year following the death of his wife, he spearheaded an online auction which raised $400,000 to benefit a new clinic at the Saratoga Backstretch which will be run by Saratoga Hospital and the Backstretch Employee Services Team.  Hendrickson later donated the remaining funds necessary to build the clinic which was completed in 2022.

He also served on the board of several charitable organizations and several buildings have been named in his honor in recognition of his fund-raising efforts.

Hendrickson was originally from Anchorage, Alaska and was a graduate of the University of Colorado. He served as a tennis instructor at the world-famous Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida before accepting a position as a key aide to Alaska Governor Walter J. Hickel.  He later continued to work for the Governor at Hickel Investments before moving to Saratoga Springs.