Willard Dickerman Straight

Willard Dickerman Straight (January 31, 1880 – December 1, 1918) was an American investment banker, publisher, reporter, Army Reserve officer, diplomat and by marriage, a member of the Whitney family.

Early life

Straight was born on January 31, 1880 in Oswego, New York., the son of Henry H. Straight and his wife, née Emma Dickerman. His father had been a faculty member at Oswego Normal School. Straight was orphaned at age ten, after the death of his father in 1886 and his mother in 1890. He attended Bordentown Military Institute in New Jersey, and in 1897 he enrolled at Cornell University and graduated in 1901 with a degree in architecture. While a student at Cornell, he joined Delta Tau Delta, edited and contributed to several publications, and helped to organize Dragon Day, an annual architecture students' event. He was also elected to the Sphinx Head Society, membership in which was reserved for the most respected men of the senior class.

Career