William Gibbs McAdoo (1863–1941) was an American lawyer, statesman, and business executive who played a key role in early 20th-century U.S. politics.
Born in Marietta, Georgia, he later moved to Tennessee to study law at the University of Tennessee. He gained prominence as president of the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Company before transitioning into politics.
McAdoo served in President Woodrow Wilson’s administration as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (1913–18.) He helped establish the Federal Reserve System and managed wartime finances. As Director General of Railroads, he oversaw the nationalization of railroads to support the war effort.
After leaving Wilson’s Cabinet, he pursued a legal career and twice sought the Democratic presidential nomination (1920, 1924.) He later moved to California, serving as U.S. Senator (1933–38.)
McAdoo authored The Challenge: Liquor and Lawlessness Versus Constitutional Government (1928) and Crowded Years: The Reminiscences of William G. McAdoo (1931.) Biographies include Mary Synon’s McAdoo, the Man and His Times: A Panorama in Democracy (1924.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by William Gibbs McAdoo
It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in an argument.
—William Gibbs McAdoo
Topics: Arguments, Ignorance, One liners
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