still shy about forcibly stating his own wants and opinions, even to his family. Thanks to some unexpected relationships, however, that was beginning to change. Bill was always drawing attention and protection from powerful strangers, though it was hard to say exactly why. Even though his father was a clothing designer who dressed with flair, Billinherited none of that love for ornamentation. He wore simple clothing and in
those early years at least was not afraid to repeat the same few outfits every week. He was five foot seven, and thin to the point of looking a bit malnourished. But there was something else about him, a kinetic curiosity, an energy and presence that imbued all his gestures with a charismatic appeal. Bill’s own initial innocence about this charisma is perhaps what made others want to take him under their wing. One of the first men to do so was one of the most powerful men in
New York City at the time: Grover Whalen, who, in 1935, was elected to preside over the coming World’s Fair.
Whalen was a former commissioner of the New York Police Department, a gregarious and experienced man of business who was the chairman of Schenley’s for most of the 1930s. He was also the “official greeter” of New York City, which meant he met and schmoozed with all the big personalities who came in and out of town. Whalen noticed something about Bill, the boy in the mailroom, and brought him up to work as his personal assistant. The job was not
glamorous—Bill ran errands and did clerical tasks—but the atmosphere often was: Whalen once took Bill with him on a business trip to Washington, D.C., for instance, just so the young man could experience his first plane ride. Bill would remember Whalen giving him five one-dollar bills when they walked into the Carlton Hotel, telling him,“Now Bill, what
you do is get quarters for these, because we’re going to need quarters for tips.” 2 It was a whole new environment for Bill. “I didn’t have that kind of experience,” he would later admit. “I learned the ways.” Whalen liked Bill’s innocence, and would often invite Bill and Evelyn to attend star-studded events with him around New York. Bill confided in Whalen about the troubles he was experiencing at home thanks to his controversial
relationship with Evelyn, which, in the parlance of the day, would be a “mixed marriage,” if they decided to take that step. Whalen’s only piece of advice was this:
Follow your heart.
Once the World’s Fair got closer and required more time andenergy, Whalen brought Bill on board to help. At Schenley, Bill surprised everyone by writing an ad for one of their products, American Cream Whiskey, and sending it in to their ad agency, Lord & Thomas. 3 A version of Bill’s concept was printed in
The New
York Times
soon after (or so Bill thought). He showed the ad to those around him and told them it had been his idea. Bill was becoming more and more eager to impress and move up the corporate ladder, and that only endeared him all the more to his boss at Schenley, and to Whalen. Here was a kid who was hungry to learn. The perfect audience for someone who is hungry to teach.
Bill started taking the train all the way out to Flushing Meadows nearly every day. Soon, there would be millions doing the same. At the World’s Fair offices, Whalen put him to work writing short speeches and press statements. Bill was fascinated by the futuristic exhibits at the Fair, and by one of its main speakers in particular, Albert Einstein. He would soon memorize many of Einstein’s quotes, and his own speeches would later be littered with them.
“A problem cannot be solved on the same level on which it was created,” Einstein once said.
What Bill picked up from Einstein was the realization that a release from categorical thinking could lead one to new levels of creativity. Reading men like Einstein and the philosopher Bertrand Russell, Bill came to understand science in a new way. He
those early years at least was not afraid to repeat the same few outfits every week. He was five foot seven, and thin to the point of looking a bit malnourished. But there was something else about him, a kinetic curiosity, an energy and presence that imbued all his gestures with a charismatic appeal. Bill’s own initial innocence about this charisma is perhaps what made others want to take him under their wing. One of the first men to do so was one of the most powerful men in
New York City at the time: Grover Whalen, who, in 1935, was elected to preside over the coming World’s Fair.
Whalen was a former commissioner of the New York Police Department, a gregarious and experienced man of business who was the chairman of Schenley’s for most of the 1930s. He was also the “official greeter” of New York City, which meant he met and schmoozed with all the big personalities who came in and out of town. Whalen noticed something about Bill, the boy in the mailroom, and brought him up to work as his personal assistant. The job was not
glamorous—Bill ran errands and did clerical tasks—but the atmosphere often was: Whalen once took Bill with him on a business trip to Washington, D.C., for instance, just so the young man could experience his first plane ride. Bill would remember Whalen giving him five one-dollar bills when they walked into the Carlton Hotel, telling him,“Now Bill, what
you do is get quarters for these, because we’re going to need quarters for tips.” 2 It was a whole new environment for Bill. “I didn’t have that kind of experience,” he would later admit. “I learned the ways.” Whalen liked Bill’s innocence, and would often invite Bill and Evelyn to attend star-studded events with him around New York. Bill confided in Whalen about the troubles he was experiencing at home thanks to his controversial
relationship with Evelyn, which, in the parlance of the day, would be a “mixed marriage,” if they decided to take that step. Whalen’s only piece of advice was this:
Follow your heart.
Once the World’s Fair got closer and required more time andenergy, Whalen brought Bill on board to help. At Schenley, Bill surprised everyone by writing an ad for one of their products, American Cream Whiskey, and sending it in to their ad agency, Lord & Thomas. 3 A version of Bill’s concept was printed in
The New
York Times
soon after (or so Bill thought). He showed the ad to those around him and told them it had been his idea. Bill was becoming more and more eager to impress and move up the corporate ladder, and that only endeared him all the more to his boss at Schenley, and to Whalen. Here was a kid who was hungry to learn. The perfect audience for someone who is hungry to teach.
Bill started taking the train all the way out to Flushing Meadows nearly every day. Soon, there would be millions doing the same. At the World’s Fair offices, Whalen put him to work writing short speeches and press statements. Bill was fascinated by the futuristic exhibits at the Fair, and by one of its main speakers in particular, Albert Einstein. He would soon memorize many of Einstein’s quotes, and his own speeches would later be littered with them.
“A problem cannot be solved on the same level on which it was created,” Einstein once said.
What Bill picked up from Einstein was the realization that a release from categorical thinking could lead one to new levels of creativity. Reading men like Einstein and the philosopher Bertrand Russell, Bill came to understand science in a new way. He
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