The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-04-02
RICH, YOUTHFUL,
". A. HARTMAN
HELPS RUN NRA
Son of Railroad Car Is
Raised to No. 2 Post
in Code REGIME.


WASHINGTON, April O. - A
tall, secretive young man lounges
through NRA's corridors these days,
swiftly moving the stakes which
marked out the old order of Ameri-
can business into the new code out
lines.
He is William Averell Hartman.
heretofore widely known as con-
troller Of a 100000 900 fortune. polo
player and president of the Union
Pacific railroad. at the age of %.
Now he is No. man in NRA,
after a meteoric two-mOnth service
under General Hugh S. johnson. He
is in charge of the widespread re-
organization under way to fit the
outfit to code administration.
He's az, But Looks Younger
Mr. Hartman looks about three
fourths his real age Of ~. He is
1.-THE, slightly stoop-shouldered and
handsome. He is said to have deep
interest in social problems, like his
sister. Mrs. Harry Rumsey, who is
chairman of the NRA consumers
advisory board. But he conceals it
effectively under the suspicious atti-
tude which many rich mems sons
adopt toward the public and the
press.
"All releases must come from
General Johnson's office" he said to
one reporter who attempted to in
tervieW him. When it was ex-
planned that a personal interview
was wanted he said he didn't be-
lieve in that stuff" and fled into
his office.
Mr. Hartman is a son of E. H.
Hartman, railway king of the
Union Pacific system, whom the
first President Roosevelt included on
his list of "malefactors of great
wealth" The elder Hartman was
short and tense, unlike his son in
that respect, but just as secretive
about his railroad kingdom as the
son is about the public business he
now handles.
Headed Road at %
Averell Hartman went to Yale,
where he attained Skull and Bones,
rowed on the varsity crew, and
learned to be crack polo player.
After his graduation in 1913 he
donned overalls in the Union Pa
cific shops. He rose in that organi-
zation with dizzy speed also, and
two years later was president of
the road.
In spite of his social activities,
he has expanded his fathers huge
fortune in railroads, banks and
shipping to include dairying and
merchandising operations. He also
carried on postwar transactions in
Russian manganese.
He does not list his politics in the
latest edition of who's Who" al
though he does say that he is
'well-knoWn polo player" In 1882
he was one of the younger group
of multi-millionaires who came out
strongly for Franklin Roosevelt. He
is a vice-president of Ray Moley's
magazine Today"
QulI AVldIlOn IOSG
Mr.. Hartman was chairman of
the board of Aviation Corporation
of Delaware, one of the major hold
ing companies involved in the re-
cent airmail scandal, but he re-
signed before starting work with
MIRA. When he arrived early in
February to become divisional ad-
miniStrator in charge of heavy in
dustrieS, he was still a director of
the Union Pacific, Guaranty Trust
Company, Manhattan Company,
and Western Union. He is listed
also as executive committee chair
man of the Illinois Central Rail
road.
Mr.. Hartman within a month
was promoted to be one of the gen.
erals five assistant administrators,
and how, over the heads of execu-
tives senior in service, he becomes
first assistant. 1t was announced
upon his arrival that he was to
stay only until May l.
1t is expected now he will con-
tinue indefinitely, and there is talk
that he may succeed the general as
administrator.