Wendell Willkie

Date of Birth: February 18, 1892

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Date of Death: October 8, 1944

Biography

Wendell Lewis Willkie was an American lawyer, corporate executive, and the Republican Party nominee for President in the 1940 election, challenging incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt. Born in Elwood, Indiana, Willkie initially pursued a career in law, earning a degree from Indiana University and later practicing in Akron, Ohio. He rose to prominence as the president of the Commonwealth & Southern Corporation, an energy company, where he was known for his opposition to Roosevelt’s Tennessee Valley Authority project. Willkie’s pragmatic approach to politics and his advocacy for internationalism garnered him support across party lines. Despite losing the 1940 election, he became one of Roosevelt’s staunchest allies in pushing for U.S. involvement in World War II, promoting bipartisan support for the Lend-Lease Act and other wartime initiatives. Willkie’s book, “One World,” outlined his vision for global cooperation post-war, and his travels as Roosevelt’s informal envoy helped lay the groundwork for the United Nations.

5 Interesting Facts about Wendell Willkie

1. Wendell Willkie was the only major-party presidential nominee in American history to never have held political office before running.

2. He was a liberal Republican who supported many of the New Deal policies, despite running against Roosevelt.

3. Willkie’s book “One World” became a bestseller, selling over a million copies and promoting the idea of international cooperation.

4. He was a key figure in the establishment of the United Nations, advocating for a post-war world organization to ensure peace.

5. Willkie was instrumental in garnering bipartisan support for the Lend-Lease Act, crucial for aiding Allied nations during World War II.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Wendell Willkie

1. “If we want to preserve our way of life, we need to fight for it.”

2. “Education is the mother of leadership.”

3. “The test of good manners is to be patient with bad ones.”

4. “America must win this war; therefore I will work for President Roosevelt, as long as he keeps fighting it.”

5. “We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At his peak, Wendell Willkie’s net worth was estimated to be around $2 million, which would be approximately $30 million today, adjusted for inflation.