Anthony Drexel Biddle. Who, you ask? Anthony Drexel Biddle, a real person that lived in Philadelphia around the turn of the century and was the head of one of Philadelphia’s wealthiest families. He is also the main character in Disney’s film The Happiest Millionaire which starred Fred MacMurray and Greer Garson. Biddle was a forward thinker for his time. He saw the need for America to get involved in the First World War and did everything he could to advance that cause. He believed in the Bible and he believed in Physical Fitness, so he combined the two in home based Bible Studies. He worked out both the inner and the outer man. He had some eccentricities as well. For instance, he kept several alligators in the conservatory of his Philadelphia mansion. Alligators he caught himself, in Florida.
Biddle didn’t really care what anyone else thought of him. He lived by his principles and fought for those principles in times that no one would agree with him. He kept on until he found a way to make it work.
Anthony Drexel Biddle is one of my Heroes.
Preston Tucker, I know a lot of you are asking, OK, who’s this guy? Preston Tucker built one of the safest cars ever produced in the late 1940s. He introduced, the seat-belt, a windshield that popped out on impact, a back engine instead of an engine in the front, and other auto innovations. The other major car companies, at the time, shut him down. But Preston ultimately beat them in court and saw his work be adapted. Just try to find a car that doesn’t have seat belts today.
Preston Tucker is one of my heroes.
We have looked this week at some great fictional characters or pieces of music to help us move forward in our goals. Today I gave you two real people that stand out as they fought a real live fight. They are people that gave it their all for what they knew was right. We need to do the same.
For more information on Preston Tucker see the film Tucker: A man and his Dream.
