Charles Lyon Chandler facts for kids

Charles Lyon Chandler (born December 29, 1883 – died June 29, 1962) was an American historian and diplomat. He worked as a consul for the United States. He studied the history of how countries in Latin America and the U.S. interacted.

Chandler graduated from Harvard College. He then joined the United States Consular Service, which helps Americans and promotes trade abroad. He became a strong supporter of Pan-Americanism. This idea promotes cooperation and friendship among all countries in North and South America.

In 1915, he wrote an important book called Inter-American Acquaintances. In this book, he suggested a new idea about the Monroe Doctrine. This was a U.S. policy that aimed to prevent European countries from interfering in the Americas. Chandler believed it was supported by both North and South American nations from the start.

After his time as a diplomat, Chandler worked for a railway company and a bank. But he also became a respected independent scholar. He helped create the Hispanic American Historical Review, a major history journal. During World War II, he worked for the U.S. government in Brazil. Before he retired, he taught at several colleges. Chandler received many honors in South American countries for his work. However, he was not as well-known in the United States.

Growing Up and Learning

Charles Lyon Chandler was born into a Unitarian family. This religious background taught him about social progress and being tolerant of others. His aunt, Agnes Blake Poor, encouraged him to learn Spanish and Portuguese. He also studied Latin and French in high school. He even learned German on his own!

At Harvard College, Chandler focused on history and political science. He studied with famous professors like Frederick Jackson Turner. He graduated with high honors in 1905.

Working as a Diplomat

After college, Chandler got a job with the United States Consular Service. This service helps U.S. citizens and businesses in other countries. His first job was in Portugal. Then, he worked in Japan, Formosa (now Taiwan), and Manchuria (a region in China).

In 1908, Chandler moved to Montevideo, Uruguay. This was the start of his long experience with Latin American countries. He wrote many reports for trade magazines. He encouraged American businesses to invest in countries like Argentina.

While working in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he studied private international law. He earned a special certificate. He also used university clubs to encourage Argentine students to study in the United States. He was the first foreign member of the University of Buenos Aires' Law Student's Club.

In August 1911, Chandler started writing his famous book, Inter-American Acquaintances. The book was finished and published in 1915. It was one of the first books to explore relations between American countries. It offered a new idea about the Monroe Doctrine. This doctrine said that the U.S. would oppose new European colonies in the Americas. Chandler argued that this idea was supported by both North and South American nations from the beginning.

Later in 1911, Chandler moved to Callao, Peru, to work as a vice consul. A local newspaper called him "a true American" who understood Latin American ideas. He joined clubs and enrolled at the University of San Marcos. However, in 1914, he was not accepted for a permanent job in the United States Diplomatic Service.

Later Career and Studies

Since he couldn't continue as a diplomat, Chandler found jobs in business. From 1914 to 1918, he worked for the Southern Railway. Then, from 1918 to 1942, he was a foreign trade manager for the Corn Exchange Bank in Philadelphia.

Even with these jobs, Chandler kept lecturing and writing about inter-American affairs. He helped create and fund the Hispanic American Historical Review. This is an important journal for historians of Latin America. He also wrote some of its first articles. In 1924, he found the tomb of Manuel Torres. Torres was the first ambassador from Colombia to the United States.

A ceremony for a plaque at Manuel Torres' grave site. Charles Lyon Chandler is the first person on the right.

In the 1930s, Chandler became a supporter of President Franklin Roosevelt. When the United States entered World War II, Chandler left banking. He took a job with the government's Rubber Development Corporation. He worked in Washington, D.C., and Brazil. In Brazil, he found the tomb of another early American diplomat, William Tudor. He was very popular with the Brazilian newspapers.

After returning from Brazil at age 63, Chandler taught for six years. He taught at Haverford College, Georgetown University, and Ursinus College. After he retired, he lived in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. He continued to teach at a Unitarian Sunday school and was involved with a group that promoted exchange between the U.S. and Argentina.

Death and What He Left Behind

Charles Lyon Chandler passed away in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, on June 29, 1962. His wife gave his important papers to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Chandler's biographer, Sheldon Avenius, wrote that "Almost everything he wrote or spoke about seemed to show... that peoples of the Western Hemisphere could and did get along together." Chandler was honored in South America. He also saw better relations between countries in the Americas during his lifetime. However, the United States didn't pay much attention to his ideas about shared cultural values. Because of this, Avenius called Chandler a "forgotten man".

Awards and Honors

• 1926: Colombia – given an honorary doctor of laws degree.
• 1934: Chile – received the Order of Merit.
• 1944: Brazil – made a Commander in the Order of the Southern Cross.
• 1944: Brazil – given an honorary doctor of letters degree from the University of Porto Alegre.
• 1945: Brazil – received a special medal for the 100th anniversary of the Baron of Rio Branco.
• Colombia – elected to the Academy of History [es].
• Colombia – received the Order of Boyacá.