willarddstraight

Williard Straight, portrait bust (LOC)

from The Library of Congress

• swanq said:

  Willard Dickerman Straight
  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willard_Dickerman_Straight
  "Willard Dickerman Straight (January 31, 1880 – December 1, 1918) was an American investment banker, publisher, reporter, diplomat and by marriage, a member of the Whitney family. He was a promoter of Chinese arts and investments, and a major supporter of liberal causes."
  
  "Straight married heiress Dorothy Payne Whitney in 1911.
  
  In 1914, Willard and Dorothy, together with Herbert Croly, began publication of The New Republic, a weekly political magazine that quickly became the voice of American liberalism. In 1917, they helped found Asia Magazine, a prominent academic journal on China.
  
  In 1915, Straight left J.P. Morgan and went to work as a vice-president for American International Corporation. In that same year, Straight became involved with the Preparedness Movement and attended the July 1915 Citizens' Military Training Camp in Plattsburgh, New York. When the United States entered World War I two years later, Straight joined the United States Army. He served stateside and later in France with the Adjutant General's Corps and First Army. For his service, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and served as a major."
  
  "Following the death of Straight's good friend Henry Schoellkopf in 1912, Straight donated $100,000 (equivalent to $3,336,000 in 2025) to construct the Schoellkopf Memorial Hall in his honor. After his death, his wife made a substantial donation to Cornell to build the school's first student union building, Willard Straight Hall, which was named in his honor."

• Jon (LOC P&P) said:

  While in France during World War I, Mr. Straight bought a large number of war related prints. His family later donated them to the Library of Congress. Some selections have been scanned at www.loc.gov/search/?q=%22pr+13+cn+1978%3Ar01%22&all=t....

• swanq said:

  What an amazing collection!