Willkie, Wendell L. (Wendell Lewis), 1892-1944

<p>Wendell Lewis Willkie was born on February 18, 1892, in Elwood, Indiana. During the 1920s, Willkie practiced law in Indiana and in Akron, Ohio. He also embarked upon a political career and even sought the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 1932. Willkie lost the nomination to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the man who won the election of 1932.</p>

<p>Following his political setback in 1932, Willkie became the president of the Commonwealth and Southern Corporation, a utility-holding corporation, in 1933. Because of this position, Willkie became a major opponent of President Roosevelt's Tennessee Valley Authority. This program resulted in government control of various utilities in the Tennessee River Valley. Willkie believed that private businesses would not be able to compete with the federal government, possibly hurting his own company's profits. In opposition to Roosevelt's New Deal, Willkie switched to the Republican Party in 1939. In 1940, the Republican Party selected Willkie as its presidential candidate. Roosevelt easily defeated Willkie by five million votes. With World War II's outbreak, the Republican became a strong supporter of Roosevelt and his wartime policies. Roosevelt sent Willkie on numerous diplomatic missions to help built support for the war effort. Despite this new relationship between the two men, Willkie, however, did seek the Republican Party presidential nomination in 1944 to unseat Roosevelt, but the party's brokers objected to Willkie's earlier support for Roosevelt. The nomination went to Thomas Dewey.</p>

<p>Following his unsuccessful bid for the Republican Party's presidential candidacy in 1944, Willkie sought to form a new political party. Before he could establish this new party, Willkie died on October 8, 1944, from a heart attack.</p>

<p> Wendell Lewis Willkie (born Lewis Wendell Willkie; February 18, 1892 – October 8, 1944) was an American lawyer, corporate executive and the 1940 Republican nominee for President. Willkie appealed to many convention delegates as the Republican field's only interventionist: although the U.S. remained neutral prior to Pearl Harbor, he favored greater U.S. involvement in World War II to support Britain and other Allies. His Democratic opponent, incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt, won the 1940 election with about 55% of the popular vote and took the electoral college vote by a wide margin. </p>

<p> Willkie was born in Elwood, Indiana, in 1892; both his parents were lawyers, and he also became one. He served in World War I but was not sent to France until the final days of the war, and saw no action. Willkie settled in Akron, Ohio, where he was initially employed by Firestone, but left for a law firm, becoming one of the leaders of the Akron Bar Association. Much of his work was representing electric utilities, and in 1929 Willkie accepted a job in New York City as counsel for Commonwealth & Southern Corporation (C&S), a utility holding company. He was rapidly promoted, and became corporate president in 1933. Roosevelt was sworn in as U.S. president soon after Willkie became head of C&S, and announced plans for a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that would supply power in competition with C&S. Between 1933 and 1939, Willkie fought against the TVA before Congress, in the courts, and before the public. He was ultimately unsuccessful, but sold C&S's property for a good price, and gained public esteem. </p>

<p> A longtime Democratic activist, Willkie changed his party registration to Republican in late 1939. He did not run in the 1940 presidential primaries, but positioned himself as an acceptable choice for a deadlocked convention. He sought backing from uncommitted delegates, while his supporters—many youthful—enthusiastically promoted his candidacy. As German forces advanced through western Europe in 1940, many Republicans did not wish to nominate an isolationist like Thomas E. Dewey, and turned to Willkie, who was nominated on the sixth ballot over Ohio Senator Robert A. Taft. Willkie's support for aid to Britain removed it as a major factor in his race against Roosevelt, and Willkie also backed the president on a peacetime draft. Both men took more isolationist positions towards the end of the race. Roosevelt won an unprecedented third term, taking 38 of the 48 states. </p>

<p> After the election, Willkie made two wartime foreign trips as Roosevelt's informal envoy, and as nominal leader of the Republican Party gave the president his full support. This angered many conservatives, especially as Willkie increasingly advocated liberal or internationalist causes. Willkie ran for the Republican nomination in 1944, but bowed out after a disastrous showing in the Wisconsin primary in April. He and Roosevelt discussed the possibility of forming, after the war, a liberal political party, but Willkie died in October 1944 before the idea could bear fruit. Willkie is remembered for giving Roosevelt vital political assistance in 1940, which allowed the president to aid Britain in its time of crisis. </p>