Born February 25, 1888
Washington, D.C.
Died May 24, 1959
Washington, D.C.

U.S. secretary of state

John Foster Dulles was perceived by many as cold and combative, but he served six distinguished years as secretary of state for President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969; served 1953–61; see entry). He worked hard at protecting the West from communist expansion.

A privileged start

John Foster Dulles was born in February 1888 in Washington, D.C., to Elizabeth Foster and the Reverend Allen Macy Dulles, a Presbyterian minister. His family had a rich history of involvement in international diplomacy and the ministry. One grandfather, John Watson Foster (1836–1917), was secretary of state for President Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901; served 1889–93). His other grandfather, John Welsh Dulles, was a prominent missionary. He also had an uncle,...