John Burlingame Whyte (May 22, 1928 – March 22, 2004) was an American model and real estate entrepreneur who developed

Fire Island Pines, New York Fire Island Pines (often referred to as ''The Pines'', simply ''Pines'', or ''FIP'') is a hamlet in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located on Fire Island, a barrier island separated from the southern side ...

Biography

Whyte was born in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

and attended

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

for two years before moving to New York City. In the 1960s, Whyte bought the rebuilt Botel Pines and Dunes Yacht Club in

Fire Island Pines Fire Island Pines (often referred to as ''The Pines'', simply ''Pines'', or ''FIP'') is a hamlet in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located on Fire Island, a barrier island separated from the southern side ...

. He bought the property after a May 31, 1959 fire destroyed the entire complex. Whyte encouraged the town's reputation as a gay destination. The Botel, which was known as The Hotel Ciel from 2004 - 2012, is still the central landmark and only hotel in the Pines. He co-founded The Pines Conservation Society in 1970. In 1984, he founded ''From the Pines With Love'' which recruited celebrities to perform at fundraisers for AIDS research. In 2002, the Fire Island Pines Community House was named Whyte Hall. Shortly before his death in 2004, Whyte sold his Fire Island Pines properties. Funded largely by his estate, a completely reconstructed Whyte Hall was completed during 2007. Whyte died on March 22, 2004, at the age of 75.

Biography

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Further reading