W. Averell Harriman

W. Averell Harriman was an American Democratic Party politician, businessman, and diplomat who was a central figure in 20th-century American foreign policy. The son of railroad magnate E. H. Harriman, he leveraged his vast wealth and connections into a long career of public service, serving as a key advisor to presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Lyndon B. Johnson. Harriman held numerous critical diplomatic posts, including Ambassador to the Soviet Union during World War II and Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and later served as the 48th Governor of New York.

Early life and business career

William Averell Harriman was born in New York City to railroad tycoon E. H. Harriman and Mary Williamson Averell. He attended Groton School and graduated from Yale University in 1913, where he was a member of the Skull and Bones society. Inheriting a significant fortune, he founded the W. A. Harriman & Co investment bank and ventured into diverse industries, including shipping and aviation. In 1922, he founded the Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation and later became chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad, a legacy of his father's empire. His business pursuits extended internationally, including a controversial manganese mining concession in the Soviet Union during the 1920s, which provided him early insights into the Soviet system.

Political and diplomatic career

Harriman entered public service under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, initially working with the National Recovery Administration before taking senior roles in the Lend-Lease program. In 1941, Roosevelt sent him to London as a special envoy to coordinate aid with Winston Churchill's government. His most significant appointment came in 1943 when he was named the United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union, a post he held through the critical final years of World War II. In Moscow, he worked closely with Joseph Stalin and Vyacheslav Molotov, developing a sobering view of Soviet postwar intentions that influenced the early Cold War strategy. He participated in major wartime conferences, including the Tehran Conference and the Yalta Conference.

Governor of New York

After the war, Harriman served briefly as United States Secretary of Commerce under President Harry S. Truman before returning to diplomacy as United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He entered electoral politics and was elected as the 48th Governor of New York in 1954, defeating Irving Ives. His single term from 1955 to 1958 was marked by significant investments in the State University of New York system, mental health facilities, and the New York State Thruway. He was defeated for re-election in 1958 by Nelson Rockefeller, ending his tenure in Albany.

Later diplomatic service

Following his gubernatorial term, Harriman returned to foreign policy at the highest levels. President John F. Kennedy appointed him as an ambassador-at-large and later as United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. He played a crucial role in negotiating the 1963 Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty with the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom. Under President Lyndon B. Johnson, he served as the lead negotiator for the abortive Paris Peace Talks aimed at ending the Vietnam War, holding the position of the president's special representative for peace negotiations.

Personal life and legacy

Harriman was married three times: to Kitty Lanier Lawrence, to socialite Marie Norton Whitney, and finally to Pamela Digby, who later became the United States Ambassador to France. He had homes in Washington, D.C., Sun Valley, and a renowned estate, Arden House, in New York. A dedicated art collector and sportsman, he was a champion polo player in his youth and helped develop the Sun Valley Resort. Harriman died in 1986 in Yorktown Heights, New York. His legacy is that of a quintessential "Wise Man" of the American foreign policy establishment, whose firsthand experience with Stalinist Russia shaped the Containment policy that defined U.S. strategy for decades.

Category:1891 births Category:1986 deaths Category:Governors of New York Category:United States ambassadors to the Soviet Union Category:United States Secretaries of Commerce Category:American diplomats