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William Gibbs McAdooAmerican lawyer and political leader
Date of Birth: 31.10.1863
Country:  USA |
Content:
Early Life and Education
William Gibbs McAdoo Jr. was born on October 31, 1863, near Marietta, Georgia. His father was a lawyer, and his uncle was a Civil War general and judge of the Texas Supreme Court. McAdoo attended rural schools until his family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1877, where his father became a professor at the University of Tennessee.
William graduated from the University of Tennessee and was appointed deputy clerk of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee in 1882. In 1885, he married Sarah Hazelhurst Fleming and opened a private practice in Chattanooga.
Legal and Business Career
McAdoo lost most of his money in the early 1890s and moved to New York City in 1892. There, he partnered with Francis R. Pemberton to form the investment banking firm Pemberton and McAdoo.
At the turn of the century, McAdoo led the construction of the unfinished railroad tunnel under the Hudson River connecting Manhattan to New Jersey, which today forms part of the PATH system. After his first wife's death in 1912, McAdoo became vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee. In 1919, he co-founded the law firm McAdoo, Cotton & Franklin (now known as Cahill Gordon & Reindel), which he left in 1922 to pursue a political career in California.
Political Appointments
McAdoo was wooed by Woodrow Wilson after meeting him in 1910. He worked on Wilson's presidential campaign in 1912. From 1913 to 1918, McAdoo served as Secretary of the Treasury under Wilson. He married the president's daughter, Eleanor Randolph Wilson, at the White House in 1914.
After the United States entered World War I in 1917, the United States Railroad Administration was formed to operate America's transportation system. McAdoo was appointed director general of railroads, a position he held until November 1918.
Post-Political Career
McAdoo died of a heart attack while traveling to Washington, D.C. after Franklin D. Roosevelt's third inauguration on February 1, 1941. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Legacy
McAdoo is remembered for his work as a lawyer, politician, and railroad administrator. One of his famous quotes is, "You cannot reason with an ignorant man."
