	William "Bill" Hadden was born in Maple Shade, New Jersey on June 2, 1921. His parents were William James Hadden, Sr., and Elizabeth Derr Hadden. As a young man, he was very active in the Boy Scouts of America and was a Sea Scout. He married Margaret Shumate (daughter of Whitney Shumate and Jessamine Shumate) on August 28, 1944, and they had four children: Elizabeth Hadden Lunney; William James Hadden, III; Whitney W. Hadden (also known as Whit Haydn) and Robert Lee Hadden.