Former United States Secretary of the Air Force during the Truman administration. Thomas Finletter was a successful Corporation and Bankruptcy Lawyer. Both his Father and Grandfather had been judges of the Court of Common Pleas. While a student at the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas enlisted in the US Army (World War I) and served in the 312th Field Artillery. While he was stationed in France, he met Gretchen Blaine Damrosch. Gretchen was the daughter of Conductor Walter Damrosch and Margaret Blaine Damrosch. She was the granddaughter of James G. Blaine and Harriet Stanwood Blaine of Maine. James Blaine was US Senator, Speaker of US House of Representatives, and served as Secretary of State for three US Presidents.
After the War, he returned to the United States and pursued his law degree. After graduating from law school, he and Gretchen were married and settled in New York in 1920. Born into a Philadelphia Family of staunch Republicans, he was angered by the Senates resistance to join the League of Nations and decided to switch to the Democratic Party in the early 1920's. He would go on to become a leader in the Democratic Party. He received national attention as the principal author of a report called "Survival in the Air Age" which was published in 1948. This report lead to a tripling of US Military Air Power and an appointment as US Air Force Secretary during the Korean War by President Harry S. Truman. In 1945, he served as a consultant to the United States delegation that drew up a charter for the United Nations. At the request of President Truman, he was appointed to serve in various capacities both in the US and in Europe. President John Kennedy appointed him as a permanent represtative to NATO. He was involved in New York politics and helped to get W. Averell Harriman elected Governor of New York in 1954. He joined forces with former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and former Gov. Herbert Lehman to establish the Anitorganization movement in the Democratic Party. Although he was involved with the US Military throughout most of his career, he was at the same time founding the United World Federalist. (an antiwar organization) He was a strong advocate for universal disarmanment.
His wife, Gretchen died in 1969. In 1973, he married his second wife, Eileen Wechsler Geist of Paris, formerly of Pittsburgh. He died in New York at the age of 86 and was buried in Bar Harbor Maine with his wife Gretchen.
After the War, he returned to the United States and pursued his law degree. After graduating from law school, he and Gretchen were married and settled in New York in 1920. Born into a Philadelphia Family of staunch Republicans, he was angered by the Senates resistance to join the League of Nations and decided to switch to the Democratic Party in the early 1920's. He would go on to become a leader in the Democratic Party. He received national attention as the principal author of a report called "Survival in the Air Age" which was published in 1948. This report lead to a tripling of US Military Air Power and an appointment as US Air Force Secretary during the Korean War by President Harry S. Truman. In 1945, he served as a consultant to the United States delegation that drew up a charter for the United Nations. At the request of President Truman, he was appointed to serve in various capacities both in the US and in Europe. President John Kennedy appointed him as a permanent represtative to NATO. He was involved in New York politics and helped to get W. Averell Harriman elected Governor of New York in 1954. He joined forces with former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and former Gov. Herbert Lehman to establish the Anitorganization movement in the Democratic Party. Although he was involved with the US Military throughout most of his career, he was at the same time founding the United World Federalist. (an antiwar organization) He was a strong advocate for universal disarmanment.
His wife, Gretchen died in 1969. In 1973, he married his second wife, Eileen Wechsler Geist of Paris, formerly of Pittsburgh. He died in New York at the age of 86 and was buried in Bar Harbor Maine with his wife Gretchen.
Former United States Secretary of the Air Force during the Truman administration. Thomas Finletter was a successful Corporation and Bankruptcy Lawyer. Both his Father and Grandfather had been judges of the Court of Common Pleas. While a student at the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas enlisted in the US Army (World War I) and served in the 312th Field Artillery. While he was stationed in France, he met Gretchen Blaine Damrosch. Gretchen was the daughter of Conductor Walter Damrosch and Margaret Blaine Damrosch. She was the granddaughter of James G. Blaine and Harriet Stanwood Blaine of Maine. James Blaine was US Senator, Speaker of US House of Representatives, and served as Secretary of State for three US Presidents.
After the War, he returned to the United States and pursued his law degree. After graduating from law school, he and Gretchen were married and settled in New York in 1920. Born into a Philadelphia Family of staunch Republicans, he was angered by the Senates resistance to join the League of Nations and decided to switch to the Democratic Party in the early 1920's. He would go on to become a leader in the Democratic Party. He received national attention as the principal author of a report called "Survival in the Air Age" which was published in 1948. This report lead to a tripling of US Military Air Power and an appointment as US Air Force Secretary during the Korean War by President Harry S. Truman. In 1945, he served as a consultant to the United States delegation that drew up a charter for the United Nations. At the request of President Truman, he was appointed to serve in various capacities both in the US and in Europe. President John Kennedy appointed him as a permanent represtative to NATO. He was involved in New York politics and helped to get W. Averell Harriman elected Governor of New York in 1954. He joined forces with former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and former Gov. Herbert Lehman to establish the Anitorganization movement in the Democratic Party. Although he was involved with the US Military throughout most of his career, he was at the same time founding the United World Federalist. (an antiwar organization) He was a strong advocate for universal disarmanment.
His wife, Gretchen died in 1969. In 1973, he married his second wife, Eileen Wechsler Geist of Paris, formerly of Pittsburgh. He died in New York at the age of 86 and was buried in Bar Harbor Maine with his wife Gretchen.
After the War, he returned to the United States and pursued his law degree. After graduating from law school, he and Gretchen were married and settled in New York in 1920. Born into a Philadelphia Family of staunch Republicans, he was angered by the Senates resistance to join the League of Nations and decided to switch to the Democratic Party in the early 1920's. He would go on to become a leader in the Democratic Party. He received national attention as the principal author of a report called "Survival in the Air Age" which was published in 1948. This report lead to a tripling of US Military Air Power and an appointment as US Air Force Secretary during the Korean War by President Harry S. Truman. In 1945, he served as a consultant to the United States delegation that drew up a charter for the United Nations. At the request of President Truman, he was appointed to serve in various capacities both in the US and in Europe. President John Kennedy appointed him as a permanent represtative to NATO. He was involved in New York politics and helped to get W. Averell Harriman elected Governor of New York in 1954. He joined forces with former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and former Gov. Herbert Lehman to establish the Anitorganization movement in the Democratic Party. Although he was involved with the US Military throughout most of his career, he was at the same time founding the United World Federalist. (an antiwar organization) He was a strong advocate for universal disarmanment.
His wife, Gretchen died in 1969. In 1973, he married his second wife, Eileen Wechsler Geist of Paris, formerly of Pittsburgh. He died in New York at the age of 86 and was buried in Bar Harbor Maine with his wife Gretchen.
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