Leahy, William D.

Leahy, William D. (1875–1959), fleet admiral, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), chief of staff to Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, 1942–1949.Born in Hampton, Iowa, Leahy graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1897. After a distinguished naval career and a term as chief of naval operations (1937–1939), he was appointed by President Roosevelt, a longtime friend, as governor of Puerto Rico and then in 1940 as ambassador to Vichy France. In April 1942, to protest the Vichy government's cooperation with Nazi Germany, Roosevelt ordered Leahy home.

As presidential chief of staff and chairman of the JCS through much of World War II, Leahy functioned primarily as a liaison between the military‐service chiefs and the president. Professionally and personally close to Roosevelt, Leahy advised the president daily, drafted much of his correspondence, and accompanied him to major allied conferences. He also alternated with his British counterpart as chairman of the Anglo‐American Combined Chiefs of Staff. In December 1944, Leahy received the five‐star rank of fleet admiral.

After Roosevelt's death in 1945, Leahy became an integral part of the Truman administration. An early and avid cold warrior, Leahy worked with Truman to counter Soviet influence worldwide. From 1942 to 1949, Leahy participated in the highest levels of decision‐making, but he kept the presidents' confidences so well that his own role is difficult to measure. Unquestionably, however, he played a vital role in the development of U.S. strategic policy during World War II and the early Cold War.
See also Federal Government, Executive Branch: Department of Defense; Federal Government, Executive Branch: The Presidency.

Bibliography

William D. Leahy , I Was There: The Personal Story of the Chief of Staff to Presidents Roosevelt and Truman Based on His Notes and Diaries Made at the Time, 1950.
Henry H. Adams , Witness to Power: The Life of Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, 1985.

Anne Sharp Wells