▁William ▁Kent ▁and ▁women ' s ▁rights ▁activ ist ▁Elizabeth ▁Th acher ▁Kent , ▁and ▁the ▁brother ▁of ▁Roger ▁Kent ▁and ▁Ad al ine ▁Kent . ▁His ▁grand father ▁was ▁Y ale ▁professor ▁Thomas ▁Anthony ▁Th acher , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁great - gre at ▁grand son ▁of ▁American ▁found ing ▁father ▁Roger ▁Sh erman . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁gradu ate ▁of ▁The ▁Th acher ▁School ▁( f ounded ▁by ▁his ▁uncle ▁Sh erman ▁Day ▁Th acher ) ▁and ▁Y ale ▁University ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁European ▁history ▁with ▁the ▁intention ▁of ▁sp ending ▁his ▁career ▁as ▁an ▁academic . ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁he ▁spent ▁several ▁years ▁teaching ▁and ▁doing ▁research ▁but ▁joined ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁Str ateg ic ▁Services ▁( O SS ) ▁with ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁Europe ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Sh erman ▁Kent ▁first ▁served ▁within ▁the ▁Research ▁and ▁Analysis ▁Branch ▁of ▁the ▁O SS ▁as ▁Chief ▁of ▁the ▁Europe - A frica ▁Division . ▁In ▁this ▁capacity , ▁he ▁o vers aw ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁process ▁which ▁would ▁now ▁be ▁considered ▁intelligence ▁prepar ation ▁of ▁the ▁batt les pace ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁planning ▁for ▁Operation ▁Tor ch , ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁Al lied ▁invasion ▁of ▁North ▁Africa . ▁( An ▁irre ver ent ▁wit , ▁Kent ▁once ▁proposed ▁for ▁the ▁her ald ic ▁em blem ▁of ▁the ▁often - z any ▁O SS , ▁" A ▁horse ' s ▁ass