Existing comment:
1940: The entire ninth floor of the hotel is leased by the British Purchasing Commission, which buys aircraft and other war materials for England during World War II.
1942: Actress Ruth Gordon walks to The Willard after her evening performance of "The Three Little Sisters" at National Theater and married Hollywood film director Garson Kanin. Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter attends the ceremony.
The Willard hired Miss Dorothy North, the first "girl bell captain" in Washington.
The cast-iron Willard clock located on F Street, a fixture since 1902, is donated as scrap iron for the war effort.
1946: The Willard family sells the hotel to the Abbell Hotel Company for $2,800,000.
1954: The hotel undergoes a $500,000 remodeling that includes new elevators, air conditioning, kitchen, and a remodeled grand ballroom capable of seating 1,000 people for dinner and 1,200 people for meetings.
1961: The Willard bought by Charles B. Benenson and Robert H. Arnow. The Abbell Hotel Company signs a lease to operate the hotel for 99 years. |