Whitney Hires David Frady to Head Commercial Banking Division

NEW ORLEANS, June 26, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Whitney National Bank announces
that David Frady has joined the Bank as Senior Vice President to lead the
Commercial Banking Division.

"As a respected banker and proven leader, David Frady will be an outstanding
addition to our Management Team," said Whitney President, John M. Turner, Jr.
"David has considerable experience and is committed to providing a higher
standard of service to our clients, deepening existing relationships and
building our client base across the Gulf South."

In this new position, Frady will focus on developing strategies and identifying
opportunities for middle market and commercial client acquisition, expansion and
retention, particularly around Whitney's deposit and fee income businesses. He
will report to Whitney President, John M. Turner, Jr.

"For the past 125 years, Whitney has built a solid reputation by developing
focused relationships with their clients, helping businesses grow and prosper,"
said Frady. "In today's challenging market, businesses need the advantage of
having a Whitney Banker on their team and I look forward to making sure that
happens."

A veteran of 25 years of banking experience, Frady was most recently an
Executive Vice President with Capital One, managing product development, product
management, sales and service initiatives for their Treasury Management and
Merchant Services segments. Prior to Capital One, he was an Executive Vice
President with Hibernia National Bank, working over the past 15 years leading a
variety of divisions, including Treasury Management, Merchant Services, Leasing,
Debt Capital Markets, SouthCoast Capital, off-premise ATMs, US Corporate,
Commercial Loan Processing, International Banking, and Commercial Knowledge
Management. He holds a BA in Marketing from Southeastern Louisiana University
and graduated from Harvard Business School's General Management Program.

Whitney Holding Corporation (Nasdaq:WTNY), through its banking subsidiary
Whitney National Bank, serves the five-state Gulf Coast region stretching from
Houston, Texas; across southern Louisiana and the coastal region of Mississippi;
to central and south Alabama; the panhandle of Florida; and the Tampa Bay
metropolitan area of Florida. (WTNY-G)

The Whitney Holding Corporation logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=5777

Photo available upon request.

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CONTACT: Whitney National Bank
Liza Copping
(504) 599-3082
lcopping@whitneybank.com