Bryant, William J.

William Junior Bryant, or June, as he preferred to be called, was born May 4, 1904 in Springfield Vermont. He attended Springfield High School and Phillips Exeter Academy, going on to graduate from Dartmouth College in 1925. He started working for Bryant Chucking Grinding Co., a machine tool company founded by his father, William Leroy Bryant. From 1928 to 1946, Bryant worked his way up through the ranks within Bryant Chucking Grinding Co. to become President in 1946. The years following were busy for Bryant, he was involved in many community related activities as well as beginning serious work in his own philanthropic areas of interest. He started the William L. Bryant Foundation in 1950, named for his father, to begin excavations in Florida, Spain and the Caribbean. The Foundation helped Bryant to pursue his interest in archeology which fueled his passion for collecting works of art, cultural and ethnic items and books.