“The Life You Save May Be Your Own,” O’Connor

Wendell Willkie was an unlikely candidate for president in 1940 on the Republican ticket. He was an attorney, a businessman, a Democrat (until 1940) and never before held public office. In his later life he moved to New York City, joined and soon presided over a large electric utility company (Commonwealth and Southern). Willkie was a Democrat but was a strong opponent to some aspects of the New Deal. He was especially hostile to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). This was a key element in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs He knew that once this was established it would be a major competitor to companies such as Commonwealth and Southern Corporation. He really began to make headlines and personal converts...