Willard Garvey

the long version

Willard Garvey lived at the center of 20th century history. Born in Dust Bowl country, as a teenager he road the rails at the height of the Great Depression to work in California's Grapes of Wrath orchards. He sailed on the Queen Mary to the European theater of World War II, where he was one of the first three American officers into Berlin following its fall, and attended the Potsdam Conference. A visionary businessman who dreamed of "Every man a homeowner," Garvey pioneered affordable home ownership in developing countries at a time when few if any knew or cared about the millions living in slums worldwide. Despite revolutions, coups, and Anti-American persecution, his World Homes provided thousands of families in countries from South America to Asia the opportunity of moving onto and up the economic ladder.