Villard

Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave talked about her biography, Villard: The Life and Times of an American Titan, published by Doubleday. The book is a biography of the author’s great grandfather, Henry Villard, originally Ferdinand Hilgard, who was a German immigrant who became a Civil War journalist, leader of major railroad developments, and a philanthropist. Ms. Villard de Borchgrave described the obstacles that Henry Villard faced as an 18-year-old immigrant in the U.S., his failures and triumphs as a journalist and businessmman, and the people that he encountered in his lifetime, including Abraham Lincoln, Generals Ulysses S. Grant and William Sherman, and Thomas Edison. Following her remarks she answered questions from the audience. close