William Alexander Percy

About

An American lawyer and poet, he is known for his bestselling autobiography, Lanterns on the Levee. He also penned the lyrics to the Episcopal hymn, They Cast Their Nets in Galilee.

Before Fame

Before earning his law degree from Harvard, he studied abroad in Paris for a year. He later earned the Croix de Guerre for his service in the U.S. Army during World War I.

Trivia

He owned 20,000 acres of land, where he grew cotton and other crops.

Family Life

He adopted the children of his cousin after his cousin committed suicide. His adopted children were named Walker, LeRoy, and Phinizy. Percy was married twice; his second wife was Sarah Hunt Farish.

Associated With

He was a friend of Herbert Hoover, whom he met during the World War I-era Belgian Relief Effort.