Mulliken, Harral

Description

Harral Mulliken was born on September 25, 1869, in New York City, New York, the son of Samuel Mulliken and Helen Maria Harral. He spent portions of his early life in Hackensack, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., reflecting a family connected to professional and governmental circles.

He was educated at the Lawrenceville School and later attended the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University, where he received an engineering education. His early career included work with the Laurentide Pulp and Paper Company in Grand-Mère, Canada, where he served as an assistant manager, and later with Gunn, Richards & Company in New York, London, and Australia, indicating a career with both technical and international dimensions.

By 1915, he was residing in Rye, New York, establishing his connection to the community prior to his military service.

World War I Service

Mulliken entered military service on September 27, 1917, as a Captain in the Signal Corps through the Officers’ Reserve Corps. He was assigned to the United States Army Air Service, which was responsible for aviation operations, training, and development during World War I.

He served in aeronautical roles within the Air Service, with assignments including Washington, D.C., and Ithaca, New York, where training and administrative functions supported the expansion of American military aviation.

He was promoted to the rank of Major on October 8, 1918, reflecting senior responsibility within the Air Service during the war. His service was primarily stateside, and there is no record of overseas deployment or combat engagement.

He sustained no wounds or injuries in action.

He was honorably discharged on August 14, 1919, with his separation noted as for the convenience of the government following the conclusion of wartime operations.

Life After Service

Following his military service, Mulliken continued his professional career and resided in Washington, D.C., where he became active in civic and social organizations. He was a member of the Army and Navy Club, the Yale Club, and the Dupont Circle Citizens’ Association, and had previously been affiliated with the Metropolitan and Chevy Chase Clubs. He also maintained a summer home in Essex, New York.

He was married to Eleanor Patterson, whom he wed on May 20, 1908. The couple had two daughters and remained married for over three decades until her death in 1944.

Harral Mulliken died on March 21, 1954, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 84, following injuries sustained in a traffic accident. Funeral services were held at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Lafayette Square, and he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

At the time of his death, he was survived by his daughters, Mrs. Phillip J. Keller of Washington, D.C., and Mrs. Taylor M. Marbury of Baltimore, Maryland; his sister, Miss Helen P. Mulliken of Washington, D.C.; and his granddaughter, Eleanor Keller.