Evening star., 1949-05-23
By John A. Giles

James Forrestal was the chief
hand In laying a firm foundation
for future administration of the
new National Military Establish
ment.
The governmental career of this
thinking, articulate. blunt
but friendly man spanned little
more than nine years. 1t began
in 1910 when be became one OF
President Roosevelt's assistants
with a passion for anonymity. =
It ended only after he had risen
30 be the Nations first Secretary
Of Defense.
Anonymity suited him. however
much that trait sometimes an
noyed Washington hostesses or
friends who harbored higher
political hopes for him. But the
magnitude of his responsibilities
and achievements necessarily kept
him to the forefront in the ma
tional picture.
Wartime Navy UnderSecretary.
AS Undersecretary Of the Navy
from 1910 to 1914. he earned the
title of Navy builder because his
main Job was to handle the Navy's
tremendous procurement program
AS Secretary of the Navy. he had
a major part in helping to carry
the fight to the enemy and later
In supervising a huge and hurried
rehabilitation of Navy men. ships
and far-flung facilities.
On September IT, 1947, Mr.,
Forrestal walked with a boxer S
brisk, wide-apart stride out of the
Navy building on Constitution
avenue and crossed the Potomac
to the vast Pentagon.
There he entered a new Office
to plan and direct one of the big
gest jobs ever given Govern
ment ofhcial-the unification of
the Army, Navy and newly in
dependent Air Force. Much Of the
Job remains to be done. but many
of the main lines and courses for
the future were charted by Mr..
Forrestal.
Always the intellectual-a quail
ity rare in most official circles
Mr.. ForreStal seldom failed to send
news conference reporters scurry-
ing to dictionaries to look up some
nttle-used word. The small, wiry
Secretary whose f1attened nose
was the result of college boxing
bout injury could be tough in
speech, but he often had twinkle
tn-the-eye way of disarming people
or putting them at their ease.
Wrapped Up in His Work.
He was lust plain folks"-not
the back -slapping type-but al
ways approachable. No one ever
really got to know him well, how
ever. on few exceptions, for he
remained deeply wrapped up in
his work.
Like the late President, the trim,
well-groomed man with the Wall
Street background was born and
reared in Dutchess County, N. Y.
And he was Democrat. But right
there the likeness ended.
He worked his way through
Princeton University, worked for
the Tobacco Products Corp. and
sold bonds for Dillon. Read & Co
He served in the Navy from 1917
to 1919 as a Naval aviation, re-
turned to Wall Street and. rose
to become president OF @spnlcft,
Read g. Co. Mr.. Roosevelt was
an old and good friend and, when
he called, Mr.. Forrestal went to
work.
He was born February is, 1892,
at Beacon, N. Y. youngest OF
three sons of Mr.. James and Mrs.
Mary A. (Toohey) Forrestal. He
attended public schools there and,
after completing his freshman year
at Dartmouth College, trans
ferred to Princeton where he was
in the class of 1915. At college he
was active in sports and editor OF
the daily newspaper. He was voted
the member of his class most like
ly to succeed.
Was Reporter in Home Town.
Between high scnool and college,
Mr.. Forrestal was a reporter in
his home town, and in Pough-
keepsie and Mount Vernon, N. Y,
continuing newspaper work to
some extent at college.
After graduation, his first job
was as a clerk with the New Jer-
sey Zinc Co. He later sold ciga-
rettes for the Tobacco Products
Corp. ...
His connections with Dillon,
Read began in 1916. Except for
his World War I duty-he en-
listed in the Navy as a seaman
and rose to the rank Of lieutenant
1unior grade) in the Naval Re-
serve-he remained with that firm
until he came to Washington in
1910.
On Oct. 26, 1926, he was mar
ried to Miss Josephine Ogden,
then on the staff of Vogue maga-
zine. She also had written for
other women's magazines as a