William Henry Vanderbilt III
| William Henry Vanderbilt III | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 59th Governor of Rhode Island | |
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In office January 3, 1939 – January 7, 1941 |
|
| Lieutenant | James O. McManus |
| Preceded by | Robert E. Quinn |
| Succeeded by | J. Howard McGrath |
| Member of the Rhode Island Senate | |
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In office 1929–1935 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 24, 1901 New York City |
| Died | April 14, 1981 (aged 79) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Emily O'Neill Davies (1923-1928) Anne Gordon Colby (1929-1969) Helen Cummings Cook (1970-1981) |
| Parents |
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Ellen "Elsie" French |
| Alma mater | Princeton University |
William Henry Vanderbilt III (November 24, 1901 – April 14, 1981) was Governor of Rhode Island and a member of the wealthy and socially prominent Vanderbilt family.
Born in New York City, he was the son of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt and Ellen "Elsie" French. Vanderbilt's father was a great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, who founded the family fortune in railroads and shipping. William Vanderbilt's parents divorced in 1908 and through his father's second marriage he had two half-brothers, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt II, and George Washington Vanderbilt III. In 1915, his father perished in the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. In 1934, his cousin on his mother's side, Ellen Tuck French, married John Jacob Astor VI, bringing together two of America's most famous and wealthy families.
Shortly before the United States declared war on Germany during the First World War, Vanderbilt dropped out of St. George's School upon his appointment as a midshipman in the U.S. Naval Coast Defense Reserve to rank from March 20, 1917. As he was only 15 at the time, he was one of the youngest Americans to have served in the war. (It is unclear how he was able to join the service at such a young age but, probably, his family connections were a factor. Another curiosity is that he was the only person to hold the rank of midshipman in the Naval Reserve.)
During his service in the Navy, Vanderbilt served on the torpedo test ship USS Vesuvius from April 17 to May 31, 1917, the Naval Torpedo Station in Newport from June 1, 1917 to March 7, 1918, aide for information Second Naval District from March 7 to July 15, 1918, in Norfolk, Virginia from July 23 to September 16, 1918, New London, Connecticut from September 19 to November 14, 1918 and as a plank owner of the newly commissioned destroyer USS Evans from November 11, 1918 to August 30, 1919. While assigned to the Evans Vanderbilt was served aboard her on a cruise to Europe from June to August 1919. He was discharged from the Navy shortly after the cruise.
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