G. A. Gripenberg

His father, Alexis Gripenberg [fi], was a State Councilor and an activist for Finnish independence.

Gripenberg graduated from the Gymnasiet Lärkan [fi] in 1907 and earned his Bachelor of Philosophy from the University of Helsinki in 1911.

[1] He then acted as a private secretary to his father for a short time before moving to Finland to join the civil war in the White Guard.

He generally avoided political influence, but was caught in the middle of competing interests because of his position.

[1] He served as Envoy for more than a decade of war and was a favorite of President J. K. Paasikivi, who appreciated his qualifications.