This page lists some of the interesting facts or trivia that illuminate aspects of Willkie’s personality or character. Sources are given in parentheses following each item and make reference to the books, articles or other materials cited in full on the bibliography page. An item not followed by a reference indicates that the fact has been reported by numerous sources.
- Wendell’s brother Edward competed in the 1920 Olympics on the U.S. wrestling team.
- In the summer of 1909, Willkie was fired on his first day on the job after he drove a busload of Yellowstone Park tourists into a ditch.
- Willkie was a solid “B” student as an undergraduate at Indiana University, but he did receive one “D” (in “Hygiene”). (Barnard, p. 36)
- Wendell and his brother Bob received stab wounds during a brawl between IU students and townies that broke out during a vaudeville show at a Bloomington theater.
- Willkie’s first job out of college (as a high school teacher) paid just $85 a month.
- The Army reprimanded Willkie for his “sloppy” and “slovenly” appearance. (Barnard, p. 51)
- Willkie joined both the Elks and the Masons.
- In his first case that went to court, Willkie lost the verdict to his father.
- Willkie went more than $10,000 into debt when the 1921 recession caused his Firestone stock to plummet. (Barnard, p. 59)
- Willkie helped launch the writing career of Margaret Mitchell by sending the galleys of Gone With the Wind to the book editor of the New York Herald Tribune. (Mitchell was the wife of a Georgia Power Company executive at the time.) (Neal, p. 40)
- The 1940 GOP convention was the first political convention to be televised, the signal reaching mainly to the TV sets serving the overflow crowd outside the Convention Hall. But through a series of ingenious (for that time) relays, the signal reached New York City and portions of upstate New York.
- The lights used by Philco (the broadcaster) inside Convention Hall were so bright that many delegates wore sunglasses.
- Upon arriving in Elwood, Willkie realized he had left his acceptance speech in Rushville. It had to be rushed to him by a special police motorcade.
- Willkie disliked mixing religion with politics, so he opted for "almighty Providence" instead of "God" in his acceptance speech in Elwood.
- In the campaign, Willkie endorsed statehood for Puerto Rico.
- While travelling on the Volga River from Kuibyshev during his 1942 world tour, Willkie briefly piloted the boat he was travelling on -- and nearly ran it ashore. (Dillon, p. 272)
- A literal translation of "Gulliver" into Chinese was nonsensical, so the Chinese characters painted on the fuselage of the Gulliver meant "high-level man." (Rukeyser, p. 239)
- During his visit to China in 1942, Willkie's name was transliterated into Chinese as either "Wei Erh Chi," which means "strengthen your inner self" or "Yweierchi," which means "powerful foundation." (Barnard, p. 365, 575)
- Hollywood producer Darryl F. Zanuck, who bought the film rights to One World, wanted Spencer Tracy to portray Willkie. (Neal, p. 266)
- In 1942, Willkie became Chairman of the Board of 20th Century Fox.
- Before joining the Army, Willkie briefly owned a Ford; it was the only car he ever owned.
- Willkie rarely wore a wristwatch (he tired of replacing the many watches he lost). To try to keep her chronically late husband on time, Edith set the clocks in their home to run fast.
Original content Copyright © 1999-2004 
Timothy D. Walker Your comments are appreciated
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