Edward Stettinius Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edward Stettinius Jr.
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| 1st United States Ambassador to the United Nations | |
| In office January 17, 1946 – June 3, 1946 |
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| President | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Warren Austin |
| 48th United States Secretary of State | |
| In office December 1, 1944 – June 27, 1945 |
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| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Cordell Hull |
| Succeeded by | James F. Byrnes |
| 12th United States Under Secretary of State | |
| In office October 4, 1943 – November 30, 1944 |
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| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Sumner Welles |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Grew |
| Administrator of the Office of Lend-Lease Administration | |
| In office March 11, 1941 – September 25, 1943 |
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| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Leo Crowley (Foreign Economic Administration) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Edward Reilly Stettinius Jr.
October 22, 1900 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | October 31, 1949 (aged 49) Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Virginia Gordon |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent | Edward R. Stettinius |
| Education | University of Virginia |
Edward Reilly Stettinius Jr. (born October 22, 1900 – died October 31, 1949) was an important American businessman and government official. He worked for two U.S. Presidents, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.
Stettinius served as the United States Secretary of State from 1944 to 1945. This job is like the country's top diplomat, handling relationships with other nations. Later, he became the first U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 1945 to 1946.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Edward Stettinius Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 22, 1900. He was one of four children. His mother's family was from Virginia, and his father's family was from Missouri.
Edward grew up in a large house on his family's property in Staten Island, New York. He went to the Pomfret School and graduated in 1920. After that, he attended the University of Virginia until 1924. He didn't finish many courses and never earned a degree. Instead, he spent a lot of his time helping poor families.
His Career in Business
In 1926, Stettinius started working at General Motors, a big car company. He began as a stock clerk, which is a basic job. However, because of his family's connections, he quickly moved up in the company. By 1931, he was a vice president. At General Motors, he helped create programs to assist people who were out of work. This work brought him into contact with Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was the Governor of New York at the time.
In the 1930s, Stettinius worked both in private companies and for the government. He joined the Industrial Advisory Board of the National Recovery Administration in 1933. In 1934, he went back to the business world and joined U.S. Steel, which was the largest company in the country. He became the chairman of U.S. Steel in 1938.
Working for the Government
After his time at U.S. Steel, Stettinius returned to public service. He worked on the National Defense Advisory Commission. He also led the War Resources Board in 1939.
Helping During World War II
A very important role he had was as the administrator of the Lend-Lease Program, starting in 1941. This program was crucial during World War II. It allowed the U.S. to provide military aid and supplies to its allies, like Great Britain and the Soviet Union, without directly joining the war at first. This was a way to help countries fighting against Germany and Japan. Stettinius held this position until 1943. He even wrote a book about the program called Lend-Lease, Weapon for Victory.
In 1943, Stettinius became the United States Under Secretary of State. This was the second-highest position in the U.S. State Department.
Becoming Secretary of State
Because the Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, was in poor health, Stettinius took over many of his duties. He led the 1944 Dumbarton Oaks Conference. This meeting was important because it helped plan the creation of the United Nations. In December 1944, Stettinius officially became the Secretary of State.
He was part of the U.S. team at the Yalta Conference in February 1945. This was a major meeting between the leaders of the U.S., Great Britain, and the Soviet Union during World War II.
The United Nations
After President Roosevelt passed away, Harry S. Truman became president. Truman wanted a different person as Secretary of State. Stettinius then resigned from that role. However, he took on a new and very important job: the first United States Ambassador to the United Nations.
He led the U.S. group at the United Nations Conference on International Organization. This conference took place in San Francisco from April to June 1945. Delegates from 50 Allied nations came together to create the United Nations. The UN was formed to help countries work together and prevent future wars.
Stettinius resigned from his role as Ambassador in June 1946. He felt that President Truman was not using the UN enough to solve problems with the Soviet Union.
Later Life
After leaving government service, Stettinius became the rector (a top official) of the University of Virginia for three years.
In 1947, Stettinius and his friend William Tubman, who was the president of Liberia, helped start the Liberia Company. This company worked with the Liberian government and American investors. Its goal was to provide money to help develop the African nation of Liberia.
Stettinius lived at his home in Virginia called The Horseshoe. He passed away from a heart condition on October 31, 1949, at the age of 49. He was buried in New York.
Archive
Edward Stettinius Jr.'s large collection of papers and documents, over 1,000 boxes, is kept at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia.
See also
In Spanish: Edward Stettinius Jr. para niños
