He was hired by Harvard President Abbott Lawrence Lowell , and he was to remain at Harvard for the next 41 years , during which time he became an advisor to a number of American presidents and presidential candidates , including Al Smith in 1928 . He was a member of Roosevelt 's Brain Trust in the 1930s and '40s , and Vice President of the War Production Board in Charge of Civilian Requirements during World War II . He also accompanied Roosevelt to Yalta
Yalta
Yalta Conference
William Yandell Elliott