Biography

Wendell Willkie was born on February 18, 1892 in Elwood, Indiana, USA. He was married to Edith Willkie. He died on October 8, 1944 in New York City, New York, USA.

As the Republican nominee for president in 1940, he ran on a platform that vigorously opposed Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies, especially the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Pictured on a 75¢ US definitive postage stamp in the Great Americans series, issued 16 February 1992.

Was the most recent major party US presidential nominee with no prior government experience until Donald Trump won the Republican nomination in 2016.

Passed away just 7 1/2 months after his vice-presidential/running mate Charles McNary.

Has been found by scholars to be the first U.S. presidential nominee who never had held a previous position in politics or major military.

[on dreams] I believe in America because we have great dreams--and because we have the opportunity to make those dreams come true.

If I could write my own epitaph, and if I had to choose between saying, "Here lies an unimportant President" or, "Here lies one who contributed to saving freedom at a moment of great peril," I would prefer the latter.

Party lines are down. Nothing could make that clearer than the nomination by the Republicans of a liberal Democrat who changed his party affiliation because he found democracy in the Republican Party. [speaking of himself in speech accepting the Republican presidential nomination, August 17, 1940]

We must fight our way through not alone to the destruction of our enemies but to a new world idea. We must win the peace. To win that peace, three things seem to me to be necessary - first, we must plan now for peace on a global basis; second, the world must be free, economically and politically, for nations and for men that peace may exist in it; third, America must play an active, constructive part in freeing it and keeping its peace. [radio broadcast, October 26, 1942]