while her husband was serving as the secretary of the navy, she became close friends with president cleveland's wife, the former frances folsom. when flora's "little girl was born" in 1887, "it was the gracious lady of the white house who suggested the name of dorothy, which was bestowed upon the babe." after they left washington, the whitney's split their time between new york city, lenox, massachusetts, and newport, rhode island (where they bought the former residence of william r. travers).