World War II Database

William Averell Harriman was born in New York City to railway tycoon E. H. Harriman and Mary Williamson Averell. In 1915, he joined his father's Union Pacific Company and became chairman of the board in 1932. In Aug 1941 he accompanied Franklin Roosevelt in the president's meeting with Winston Churchill at Placentia Bay. Between 1943 and 1946 he served as the ambassador to Russia. In 1946 he was the ambassador to Britain for Harry Truman; in the same year he was appointed to be the Secretary of Commerce and held that position until 1948. In Jul 1951 he mediated between Persia and Britain over the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. During the Korean War he was the National Security Advisor. Between 1954 and 1958 he became the governor of New York. During the post-war political career he ran for presidency twice, but lost both times. He was Ambassador at Large, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and then again Ambassador at Large for the John Kennedy/Lyndon Johnson administration. He was named as a Russian spy by Anatoli Golitsin but continued to be trusted by Johnson. He was later implicated with plots against Ngo Dinh Diem of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969. Under Richard Nixon, he was a member of the American delegation to the United Nations General Assembly's Special Session on Disarmament.

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. says:
   5 Jan 2007 10:21:03 AM
   
   “…In Jul[1] 1951 he mediated between Persia and Britain over the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.”
   “Under Richard Nixon, he was a member of the American deletion[2] to the United Nations General Assemblys Special Session on Disarmament.”
   
   [1] July
   [2] delegation
   

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