He served in the United States Army Air Forces during the World War II as a bombardier and became a captain.
Avis established his business credentials by positioning himself as a capable negotiator between the major automotive companies and their union leaders and rank-and-file members.
to the lowest-level hourly worker, accept their ideas in anonymous fashion, combine them where overlapping and present them to the assembled group for discussion without attribution.
[5] In addition his real estate holdings at what was known as Avis Farms on the south side of Ann Arbor, Michigan were converted to commercial offices and industrial parks.
On his paternal side, Avis is distantly related to the Portuguese royal dynasty House of Aviz, who ruled Portugal in the 14th century.