Editing Wendell Willkie (section)

===Commonwealth & Southern executive===
Wendell and Edith Willkie moved to New York in October 1929, only weeks before the [[Wall Street Crash of 1929]], and found an apartment overlooking [[Central Park]]. Initially intimidated by the size and anonymity of the big city, Wendell Willkie soon learned to love it. He attended the [[Broadway theatre]], and read through ten newspapers each day.{{sfn|Neal|p=25}} Willkie and his wife had little in common, and grew apart through the 1930s.{{sfn|Neal|pp=37–39}} He acquired a social life, and met [[Irita Van Doren]], the book review editor of the ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]'' who became a friend, and later his lover.<ref name = "ANB" /> Cultured, brilliant and well connected, Van Doren introduced him to new books, new ideas, and new circles of friends. Unlike Van Doren, Willkie was indiscreet about their relationship, and their affair was well known to the reporters covering him during his 1940 presidential campaign. None of them printed a word.{{sfn|Neal|pp=39–44}}

At C&S, Willkie rose rapidly under the eye of Cobb, impressing his superiors. Much of his work was outside New York City; Willkie was brought in to help try important cases or aid in the preparation of major [[legal brief]]s. Cobb, a pioneer in the electricity transmission business, had presided over the 1929 merger of 165 utilities that made C&S the largest electric utility holding company in the country. He promoted Willkie over 50 junior executives, designating the younger man as his successor. In January 1933, Willkie became president of C&S.{{sfn|Neal|pp=26–28}}

Willkie maintained his interest in politics, and was a delegate to the [[1932 Democratic National Convention]]. Since the incumbent Republican president, [[Herbert Hoover]], was widely blamed for [[the Depression]] that had followed the stock market crash, the nominee would have a good chance of becoming president. The major candidates were Smith (the 1928 nominee), Smith's successor as New York's governor, [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] [[John Nance Garner]], and former [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]] [[Newton D. Baker]]. Willkie backed Baker, and was an assistant floor manager for his campaign. With a two-thirds majority needed to gain the Democratic presidential nomination, Willkie and others tried to deadlock the convention in the hope that it would turn to Baker. Roosevelt was willing to swing his votes to Baker in the event of a stalemate, but this did not occur, as Governor Roosevelt gained the nomination on the fourth ballot. Willkie, although disappointed, backed Roosevelt, and donated $150 to his successful campaign.{{sfn|Neal|p=27}}