World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseCordell Hull was born in Olympus, Tennessee, United States to farmer William Hull and Elizabeth Riley. He became chairman of his county's Democratic Party members in 1890 at the age of 19. In 1891 he graduated from Cumberland University with a law degree. From 1893 to 1897 he was a member of the state congress, and served as an infantry officer during the Spanish-American War. From 1903 to 1907 he served as a judge of the Tennessee Fifth Judicial District. From 1907 until 1931 he was a member of the United States House of Representatives (except during 1921-1923 when he was not elected), then from 1930 to 1933 a member of the Senate. On 4 Mar 1933, he was appointed Secretary of State by Franklin Roosevelt on his reputation as a known proponent of open international trade and overall a veteran of international diplomacy; nevertheless, Roosevelt often excluded Hull in major foreign policy decisions due to the looming, and then on-going, world war. When Charles de Gaulle's forces took over the Vichy-controlled Saint-Pierre and Miquelon islands off Newfoundland, Hull decided to state that the existing governor should be reinstated; this generated some negative publicity against him, but he remained in the Department of State. In Oct 1943 he was sent to Moscow to represent the United States for the Third Moscow Conference. He chaired the Advisory Committee of Postwar Foreign Policy and was a strong supporter of the United Nations. In Nov 1944, Hull resigned due to health reasons. For his contributions for world politics, particularly for his work to establish the United Nations, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945. He passed away in Washington DC in 1955 and now rests in peace in the Chapel of St. Joseph of Arimathea in the Washington Cathedral.

Cordell Hull Interactive Map

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Cordell Hull Timeline