William Henry Wills

Wm Henry Wills

William Henry Wills (born October 26, 1882 in Chicago , Illinois , † March 6, 1946 in Brockton , Massachusetts ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Vermont from 1941 to 1945 .

Early years and political advancement

After the death of his father, William Wills came to Vergennes , Vermont with his mother at the age of ten . There he attended public schools. Eight years later, Wills moved to Bennington , where he worked in various professions until 1915. Among other things, he was a shoe seller in a department store. In 1915 he founded the Wills Insurance Company, which still exists today. Then he also got into the banking and real estate business.

William Wills was a member of the Republican Party . Between 1929 and 1931 he was an MP in the Vermont House of Representatives . From 1931 to 1933 and again from 1935 to 1936 he was a member of the State Senate . There he was temporarily president of the house. Between 1937 and 1941 he was Lieutenant Governor Deputy Governor George Aiken . He had already unsuccessfully applied for this post in 1932. In 1940, William Wills was himself elected the new governor of his state.

Vermont governor

Wills took up his new office on January 9, 1941. After a re-election in 1942, he was able to exercise this office until January 4, 1945. His tenure was overshadowed by the events of World War II , to which Vermont also had to contribute. As everywhere in the United States, production was converted to armaments needs. Young men were enlisted and enlisted in the military. Fuel and food were rationed. Alongside these wartime incidents, Governor Wills introduced minimum wages for teachers. For health reasons, Wills decided not to run again in 1944.

Another résumé

In July 1945, he was appointed to the Federal Communication Commission by President Harry S. Truman . He held this mandate until his death in March 1946. William Wills had a child with his wife, Haxel McLeod.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 4, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• William Wills in Governors Association (English)
• William Henry Wills in the database of Find a Grave (English)