Early Life and Education

Born in France on the eve of World War I, William Lawrence Breese III spent his earliest years amid the turmoil of the European front. His father was killed in 1915 when he was a child, and his mother, Julia, volunteered with the French Ambulance Service, driving supply and medical vehicles along the war-torn roads of northern France.

After the war, William was educated in the United States, attending Harvard University, where he excelled in athletics and graduated in the 1930s.

Career and Public Service

A gifted tennis player, William won the Irish Tennis Championship and competed at Wimbledon, distinguishing himself among the best amateur players of his generation.

During World War II, he served in the Army Air Forces, with assignments in Brazil and Europe. After the war, he joined the U.S. State Department, working on UNESCO-relations staff and later assisting in postwar humanitarian efforts. He volunteered for Hungarian refugee resettlement in Vienna and Salzburg, applying his administrative skill and international experience to relief work.

In 1966 he founded the Longview Foundation for Education in World Affairs and International Understanding, based in Washington, D.C. As founder and chairman, he dedicated the foundation to advancing education about global interdependence and international relations for American students and teachers. The foundation remains active in educational initiatives today.

Legacy

William Lawrence Breese III’s life traced a full arc from the trauma of war to international reconciliation and cultural exchange. A Harvard scholar, athlete, and humanitarian, he exemplified the Breese family’s enduring commitment to innovation, service, and intellectual engagement across generations.