William Averell Harriman

William Averell Harriman was the son of railway tycoon Edward Henry Harriman who had migrated to America from London. His mother was Mary Averell Harriman. He was born on November 15, 1891. He had a sister named Mary and a brother named Roland. Averell was active in many sports and was always very competitive. Born into immense wealth, he was always taught that money should work for the good of society. He grew up in New York City with time spent at Arden, the family estate on the Hudson, located near West Point. He was educated at the exclusive Groton prep school and then Yale. He coached the crew team and became a member of Skull and Bones. Harriman formed his own shipping line and merchant bank after school. He entered government as part of the New Deal and became a special envoy to Churchill and Stalin for...