John Foster Dulles was most famous for the hard work and initiative he showed while serving as our country’s Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Born on February 25, 1888 right here in the nation’s capital, Dulles was very active in government and politics from a very young age.
After attending college at Princeton University and law school at George Washington University, he joined the New York law firm of Sullivan and Cromwell, where he specialized in international law. His strong international law background became very useful in 1918 when then President Woodrow Wilson appointed him as legal counsel to the United States delegation to the Versailles Peace Conference at the end of World War I. Remaining active in politics, Dulles made many friends who were able to help him continually progress throughout his career in public service. When President Eisenhower became president in January 1953, he appointed Dulles as his Secretary of State.
Unfortunately, Dulles suffered from cancer and was forced to resign from the office in April 1959. John Foster Dulles died in Washington, D.C. on May 24, 1959.