Eli Whitney-Smith PhD

Eli Whitney-Smith: - Theorist, Archaeologist, Academic, Consultant,  and Unsung Hero of the Eli Whitney namesake
Eli Whitney-Smith was a great American. Her first job was blazing trails (and highways) as the only female interstate bus driver in the NY/NJ/CT region. Later she studied archeology at UMaine-Orono before transferring to San Jose State University and was matriculated into the prestigious Cybernetic Systems Program. There she formulated the I- and M- adaptation theory:
"people in groups use two basic survival strategies:

1. 
   Hunter/gatherers are Information- or I-adapted. For them, survival depends on information, i.e. knowing where plants and animals are. They perceive a world of plenty, sharing material goods in order tocreate networks of relationships and information.
2. People since the invention of agriculture are Material goods- or M-adapted. For them, survival depends on possession and manipulation of material goods. They perceive a world of scarcity, using information to gain increasing amounts of material goods."

How cool is that. Eli subsequently pursued two degrees related to her theory. Currently she is a high profile consultant in IT and organizational change.

Read more about her at her homepage 

Eli Whitney - Modern Day Strongman

Eli Whitney of Hercules, CA is a mountain of a man. Hailing from arguably the toughest and most heroic town in all of Northern California, Whitney stands tall in the face of danger. On the other hand, our hero, may also suffer from some side effects of heavy metal poisoning from the well known soil contamination of the town, due to high-polluting smokestacks from the once thriving explosives industry located there. Hopefully this is not the case, it would be a shame to have a Bizarro Hercules running around.  Bizarro was a pretty creepy dude.





Perhaps what actually happened was that all the heavy metals in the soil just gave Whitney super strength, and took him from Zero to Hero:




While he may not have myths written about him, it is a well known fact in California, that Eli Whitney, of Hercules, once defeated the Tennessee Titans singlehandedly in a bar fight. That's a pretty impressive feat.

Eli Whitney Debevoise II

Eli Whitney Debevoise II - US Executive Director of the World Bank.
From his Wikipedia Page: "Eli Whitney Debevoise II is the U.S. Executive Director of the World Bank Group. Prior to his appointment on April 6, 2007, he served as Commissioner for the Maryland Port Commission in Baltimore.[1]"
He, like Eli Whitney before him attended Yale university, and later, unlike the original Eli Whitney, went on for a prestigious law degree from Harvard University. Eli Whitney Debevoise II, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Yale, proving that he is more than just a name! Eli Whitney Debevoise II, is recognized as a "Super Lawyer" according to superlawyers.com.  He also speaks four languages, this is likely the reason why he was tapped to participate in shaping policy towards Brazil.  Here is a relationship map about him from Muckety, I honestly have no idea what this means. A consummate professional in all aspects of his life, Whitney Debevoise brings honor to the Eli Whitney Name, not surprising since he is the original Eli Whitney's great, great grandson. Check out his statement before congress in 2007. Eli Whitney Debevoise II was also instrumental in shaping US policy, towards Brazil. Here is Whitney Debevoise Lookin' sharp with his wife.

Eli Whitney - Equalizer, Man of Mystery

A very mysterious Eli Whitney exists out there; one who's only public information is that he is in the business of equalizing. The first question that obviously comes to mind is "what kind of equalizer is this modern Eli Whitney?" There are many historical examples which may give us insight into this question. He are three radically different equalizers that may or may not be similar to the Eli Whitney who's Zoominfo profile is private.

1. One of the first equalizers to come to mind was Robin Hood, who along with his band of thieves equalized by stealing from the rich and redistributing wealth to the poor and downtrodden: Although Robin Hood, may be more legend than historical figure, he did give us a good model of the type of hero modern Eli Whitney might have been.
2.  Another, more infamous equalizer was Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Lenin was the leader of the Bolshevik Revolution, and was arguably the driving force behind the rise of the Soviet Union. Lenin also loved to party as was evidenced by his constant decrees that Soviets must "support the party." Here is a song that Lenin would probably rave out to if he was alive today.  
3.  A third, revered equalizer was Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela spent 26 years in prison, standing up for his beliefs and was the most powerful symbol of the anti-apartheid movement. Mandela, upon release, became the first democratically elected president of South Africa, ushering in a new era of equality.

Eli Whitney Program

Carrying on the legacy of such great Yale Eli Whitneys as the original Eli Whitney, Eli Whitney Debevoise, and Eli Whitney Debevoise II, the Yale Eli Whitney Program allows older non-traditional students to take part in, or finish an incomplete, undergraduate education:

Like all things carrying the Eli Whitney Name, it is pretty inspiring to watch their testimonials.

Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin - Band

Another band named Eli Whitney. This one, like the band from San Jose is also defunct. But at least their story isn't as rife with tragedy. You can check out their music on their myspace page. Some of their music even seems inspired by the ever-unpopular "math-rock" other is much more lyrically driven and emotional, awww. Their band was torn apart when a character named "Ryan," selfishly decided to give up. Ryan could take a lesson from some other Eli Whitneys. Did Eli Whitney Debevoise II give up when the world plunged into financial crisis? Did Dr. Eli Whitney give up on his patients when the insurance company gave him a hard time? I don't gosh-darn think so!!! From all of us at The Unsung Eli Whitney Project, Ryan, we think you made a mistake!

Here is a video of one of the band member's younger brothers playing Halo to one of their sweet jams (it was probably Ryan's brother, because everyone seems to hate the video):
 

Eli Whitney - Supporting the Process

So I had to look up what a Process support manager does. I'm still unsure, but it seems like it has a lot to do with engineering and logistics. This seems like it could be a very intense job, especially when you are a process support manager for a company specializing in natural gas compression, like Exterran. Our Eli, right now is in the United Arab Emirates, working to ensure our ability to harvest energy from the earth to power hospitals and orphanages. That is why Eli Whitney of Exterran is a lifesaving hero in our hearts and on our blog. Hopefully the company will let him don a cape or other superhero accoutrement soon.   Eli, if you stumble across this post, please post a comment to let us know what a process support manager actually is.

Eli Whitney - Salesman

Eli Whitneys occupy all kinds of trades. This Eli Whitney, of the Greater Philadelphia area, is a salesman; he is also a consummate  champion of the highest ethical standards, and an all-round stand up guy. Eli Whitney has been a master merchant since being graduated from Clarkson University back in 1979 with a degree in industrial distribution. That's 30 years of sales, wow! Currently our hero is working at Rockwell Automation; the NYSE sure thinks they ROK (oh snap!). So if you come across Eli Whitney, American tradesman extraordinaire, send a smile his way, for he fights hard to step from the shadow of his namesake. 

Eli Whitney and the Sound Machine

Another band named Eli Whitney, but this one is active, and awesome. They are a lo-fi ska/punk band from New York who have a mellow sound with kickass grooves. You can check out some of their tracks on their myspace page. This 8 piece band with smooth vocals is sure to be famous one day, so check 'em out now so you can tell all your friends you knew them before they were big. 

Eli Whitney Soulja Boy Spoof

Check out this song about Eli Whitney and the historical implications of the cotton gin set to the music of Soulja boy. Regardless of your views on the musical merits of Soulja boy, I'm sure you can agree that this is a creative and thought provoking work. 

Eli Whitney Poem

I'm taking a small detour from talking about people named Eli Whitney, to show you this great poem about Eli Whitney by Tim Clarke:

The looms

so spread-eagle splayed,

fine harp, the weaver of hymns

God is listening

the cotton gin is marching

and we follow



Feral engines,

artificial hearts of pure-bred fantasy

beat deep in the chest

where so thoroughly buried,

so gently molested,

enjoy a subtle bending

times are harder

so we follow...

Anyway, to see the rest of this poem, you will need to check out Tim's website, where you can find this any many other cool poems. 

Eli Whitney band

Check out the Eli Whitney band: 

This band from San Jose, California has some weird but cool tracks that you should check out(Myspace). It seems like they aren't touring anymore due to the tragic suicide of one of their members. Their disortion-laden tracks are reminiscent of the also short-live Chicago based legends Cap'n Jazz. Worth downloading Eli Whitney if you want something obscure to impress your hipster friends.

Dr. Edwin (Eli) Whitney

There seem to be a plethora of doctors who share the Eli Whitney namesake. What good fortune for lucky patients. This Dr. Eli Whitney is a cardiologist at N.E. Baptist hospital in San Antonio Texas. One happy patient described Eli Whitney as "A good cardiologist with compassion, and a sense of humor. Always has a joke for you. Besides knowing his medicine he is very good about recommending vitamins, minerals, and life style changes to help you get better. I have mediocre insurance now= with past employer it was good insurance, but he still spends time with me on my visits. Just do not waste his time with lots of chit chat - a little is OK. I like him a lot."

It seems Whitney is always happy to talk with patients, despite insurance problems, what a stand-up guy!. 

For more (universally positive reviews) check out his page on ratemds.com

Dr. Eli Whitney

Dr. Eli Whitney is an assistant professor  of dentistry as the University of British Columbia. Dr. Whitney hates cavities tremendously. He may have once been quoted as saying "I've never met a cavity I didn't like." Also, once when asked who his favorite imaginary character is, he responded "the tooth fairy." Clearly this man cares about dentistry. 

To contact this professor, please check out his directory page at the UBC website!

Eli Whitney - Private Investigator

Eli Whitney of Brookline, MA just outside of Boston is the executive administrator of American Investigative services.

According to Eli's company Bio: "Eli Whitney has been a valued member of the AIS team since 1996, after over twenty years' experience as a legal administrator. Whether analyzing documentary evidence in criminal defense matters or conducting exhaustive due diligence for corporate investigations, Eli's strong work ethic leaves no stone unturned. Extremely organized and analytical, her unique perspective has been instrumental in developing investigative strategies for a wide variety of clients and presenting our findings in a manner tailored to the client's specific needs. Also adept at undercover assignments, Eli has successfully obtained critical evidence in a number of challenging cases. "

Pretty Impressive. 

Eli Whitney Debevoise

Eli Whitney Debevoise - Lawyer, Philanthropist
Eli Whitney Debevoise, born in 1899, was the great great grandson of the Eli Whitney. Eli Whitney Debevoise passed away in 1990, at the ripe old age of 90 years old; his obituary was printed in the New York Times. He was a graduate of Yale and Harvard law. Debevoise started his career in the army and eventually gained the rank of second Lieutenant. In 1931 he founded Debevoise & Stevenson law firm with a partner, which eventually became the high-profile Debevoise & Plimpton LLP of today.
 From SourceWatch: "Mr. Debevoise served as Deputy United States High Commissioner for Germany from 1951 to 1953, one of the top positions with the Allied Commission that administered Germany's affairs in the years immediately following World War II.
In 1959, Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller named Mr. Debevoise chairman of the New York State Task Force on Youth and Juvenile Delinquency, which was mandated to carry out a six-point program that included developing work camps for troubled youngsters.... Debevoise was also active in many charities, serving as president of the New York Association for the Blind, chairman of the Russell Sage Foundation, as a trustee of Rockefeller University and a trustee of the American Geographical Society." Also, look at these papers on record at Amherst college that  document his position as the deputy general counsel with the High Commission for Germany-Office of General Counsel (HICOG-OGC) from 1950-1953.

Eli Whitney - The really famous one

From Wikipedia:
"Eli Whitney (December 8, 1765 – January 8, 1825) was an American inventor best known as the inventor of the cotton gin. This was one of the key inventions of the industrial revolution and shaped the economy of the antebellum South.[1] Whitney's invention made short staple cotton into a profitable crop, which strengthened the economic foundation of slavery. Despite the social and economic impact of his invention, Whitney lost his profits in legal battles over patent infringement, closed his business, and nearly filed bankruptcy."
Poor Eli Whitney, the man who brought us guns with interchangeable parts, and made cotton into a cash crop was plagued by misfortune throughout his life (his lab was broken into and people copied his gin design, and one of his factories burnt down putting him in serious financial trouble). Then again, the whole facilitating large-scale commercial cotton kind of lead to slavery being viable. He also had shifty sweetheart weapons  contracts thanks to his Yale connections.  There is even evidence that his attempts to build a cotton gin were unsuccessful, and that his design flaws were solved by a woman named Katherine Green (source).

The Eli Whitney Project

Recently I came across a post on Reddit.com where someone named KarmaAunt (not to be confused with Karmanaut) wrote how he or she was excited by the fact that the person who replaced Paul Wolfowitz at the World Bank was a person named Eli Whitney Debevoise II, due to the fact that Eli Whitney was such a common answer so exams during his or her youth. After posting a comment pretending to be the person in question, I realized that discovering novel people named Eli Whitney is an endeavor one can be proud of. Thus the Eli Whitney Project was born.  Every so often I will bring to your awareness a notable person who shares the Eli Whitney namesake. Surely there are other great people living in the shadow of the Cotton Gin King who deserve recognition for their own exciting accomplishments.