Cold War Biographies | Dean G. Acheson Biography

Born April 11, 1893
Middletown, Connecticut
Died October 12, 1971
Sandy Spring, Maryland

U.S. secretary of state, lawyer, and author

Secretary of State Dean Acheson played a critical role in developing U.S. foreign policy as the post–World War II (1939–45) rivalry with the Soviet Union was taking shape. He firmly believed in maintaining a position of strength through military might while seeking solutions through diplomacy. His influence would last throughout the Cold War (1945–91). The Cold War was an intense political and economic rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Early influences

Dean Gooderham Acheson was born on April 11, 1893, in Middletown, Connecticut. His father, Edward Campion Acheson, was born in Britain but left home at age sixteen to journey to Canada, where he joined the military. He married Eleanor Gooderham,...