Edward Willkie

Ed Willkie was from Elwood, Indiana, where he studied at the Manchester College Academy. His sister, Julia, was a professor at Manchester College (later University), while his brother, Wendell Willkie, ran for President in 1940, losing to Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Ed Willkie attended the US Naval Academy where he was a guard on the football team and received several All-American mentions. After his military career, Willkie entered the business world, and was president of the National Canners’ Association and the Evaporated Milk Association. In 1952, Willkie moved to Bellingham, Washington, to become president of Pacific American Fisheries. He died there of a heart attack in his home, only four years after he took the job.