ABSTRACT
William Gibbs McAdoo was a lawyer and promoter who made his mark when he built the first tunnel under the Hudson River. He took an active part in the 1912 campaign, became a brilliant Secretary of the Treasury during World War I and married Wilson's daughter. At the Democratic convention in 1924 McAdoo, his name somewhat tarnished by the backing of the Ku Klux Klan, led for many ballots; but the convention in desperation eventually turned to John W. Davis. In 1932 McAdoo delivered the vote of the California delegation to Franklin D. Roosevelt and insured his nomination. He served as senator from California from 1933 to 1939 and then became chairman of the American President Lines. McAdoo is less safe than most devout progressives because he is so clever and so sophisticated. McAdoo is less intricate personally, but infinitely more sensitive to the stimulus of popular feeling.
