William K. Vanderbilt II

William Kissam Vanderbilt II
Vanderbilt in 1903
Born	(1878-10-26)October 26, 1878 New York City
Died	January 8, 1944(1944-01-08) (aged 65) New York City
Children	William Kissam Vanderbilt III Muriel Vanderbilt Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl
Parent(s)	William Kissam Vanderbilt Alva Erskine Smith

William Kissam Vanderbilt II (26 October 1878 – 8 January 1944) was a motor racing enthusiast and yachtsman, and a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family.

He was born on October 26, 1878 in New York City, the second child and first son of William Kissam Vanderbilt and Alva Erskine Smith. Known as Willie K., he was a brother to Harold Stirling Vanderbilt and Consuelo Vanderbilt. Born to a life of luxury, he was raised in Vanderbilt mansions, traveled to Europe frequently, and sailed the globe on yachts owned by his father.

Willie K. Vanderbilt was educated by tutors and at St. Mark's School. He attended Harvard University but dropped out after two years.

On May 9, 1917, Vanderbilt went into active service in the Navy as a lieutenant (junior grade) in command of USS Tarantula (SP-124) at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The Tarantula was a yacht owned by Vanderbilt which he has leased to the Navy for the duration of the war. He was assigned to patrol duty in the waters of the 3rd Naval District and performed convoy escorts in the waters off New York and New Jersey. On October 1, 1917 he was released from active duty and given a temporary leave of absence to resume his duties of vice-president of the New York Central Railroad. A few months later was elected president of the New York Central Railroad and acted in this capacity for the remainder of the war.

After the war, Vanderbilt was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve on May 17, 1921. He remained in the Naval Reserve until he was transferred to the Honorary Retired List on January 1, 1941 for physical disability.