Joseph Edward Willard

Joseph Edward Willard was born on May 1, 1865, and died on April 4, 1924. He was an American politician, diplomat, and philanthropist.

Early Life:

He was the son of Joseph Clapp Willard (1820–1897), a prominent Washington hotelier and Union Army commissary major, and Antonia Ford, a former Confederate spy. Willard had two brothers who died in infancy.

Career:

Willard spent eight years serving in the Virginia House of Delegates. Subsequently, he was elected as the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, holding office from 1902 to 1906. His tenure concluded after an unsuccessful bid for governor. Following his term as lieutenant governor, the Virginia General Assembly appointed him as a commissioner of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, a position he held for four years.

In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson appointed Willard as the United States Ambassador to Spain. During the onset of World War I, Willard was vacationing in the United States and returned to Europe aboard the USS Tennessee. His daughter, Belle, was ill with typhoid fever at the time, but she recovered. Willard served as ambassador under presidents from both major U.S. political parties until shortly before his death.

Personal Life:

Willard was married to Belle Layton Wyatt (1869–1954). They had two daughters: Belle Wyatt (1892–1968) and Mary Elizabeth (1898–1979). Belle Wyatt married Kermit Roosevelt on June 10, 1914, and they had four children: Kermit Roosevelt Jr. (1916–2000), Joseph Willard Roosevelt (1918–2008), Belle Wyatt Roosevelt (1919–1985), and Dirck Roosevelt (1925–1953). Mary Elizabeth married The Hon. Mervyn Herbert, third son of the 4th Earl of Carnarvon, in 1921.

Willard’s descendants include at least 12 grandchildren, among them Mark Roosevelt. His great-grandchildren include Kermit Roosevelt III, John Palfrey, and Quentin Palfrey.

Death:

Joseph Edward Willard died in Manhattan, New York, on April 4, 1924. His remains were transported to Washington, D.C., where he was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Sources:

Willard Family Papers, Library of Congress.

External Links:

Media related to Joseph Edward Willard can be found at Wikimedia Commons.