Dean Gooderham Acheson (pronounced ; April 11, 1893October 12, 1971) was an American statesman and lawyer. As the 51st U.S. Secretary of State, he set the

foreign policy of the Harry S. Truman administration The main issues of the United States foreign policy during the 1945–1953 presidency of Harry S. Truman were working with Allies, especially Britain, the Soviet Union and China. The goals were to achieve victory over Germany and Japan; deal w ...

from 1949 to 1953. He was also Truman's main foreign policy advisor from 1945 to 1947, especially regarding the Cold War. Acheson helped design the

Truman Doctrine The Truman Doctrine is an American foreign policy that pledged American "support for democracies against authoritarian threats." The doctrine originated with the primary goal of containing Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War. It wa ...

and the

Marshall Plan The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide foreign aid to Western Europe. The United States transferred over $13 billion (equivalent of about $ in ) in economic re ...

, as well as the

North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

. He was in private law practice from July 1947 to December 1948. After 1949 Acheson came under partisan political attack from Republicans led by Senator Joseph McCarthy over Truman's policy toward the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. As a private citizen in 1968 he counseled President

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

to negotiate for peace with

North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...

. During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

called upon Acheson for advice, bringing him into the executive committee ( ExComm), a strategic advisory group.

Early life and education

Dean Gooderham Acheson was born in Middletown, Connecticut, on April 11, 1893. His father, Edward Campion Acheson, was an English-born Canadian (immigrated to Canada in 1881) who became a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

priest after graduating from

Wycliffe College Wycliffe College () is an evangelical graduate school of theology at the University of Toronto. Founded in 1877 as an evangelical seminary in the Anglican tradition, Wycliffe College today attracts students from many Christian denominations from ...

. He moved to the U.S., eventually becoming Bishop of Connecticut. His mother, Eleanor Gertrude (Gooderham), was a Canadian-born descendant of William Gooderham, Sr. (1790–1881), a founder of the

Gooderham and Worts Distillery Gooderham and Worts, also known as Gooderham & Worts Limited, was a Canadian distiller of alcoholic beverages. It was once one of the largest distillers in Canada. The company was merged in 1926 with Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd., and the merged firm ...

of Toronto. Like his father, Acheson was a staunch Democrat and opponent of prohibition. Acheson attended Groton School and

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

(1912–1915), where he joined

Scroll and Key The Scroll and Key Society is a secret society, founded in 1842 at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut. It is one of the oldest Yale secret societies and reputedly the wealthiest. The society is one of the reputed "Big Three" societies ...

Society, was elected to

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

, and was a brother of the

Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active colonies across North America. It was founded at Yale College in 1844 by fiftee ...

fraternity (Phi chapter). At Groton and Yale he had the reputation of a partier and prankster; he was somewhat aloof but still popular with his classmates. Acheson's well-known, reputed arrogance—he disdained the curriculum at Yale because it focused on memorizing subjects already known—was apparent early. At Harvard Law School from 1915 to 1918, however, he was swept away by the intellect of professor

Felix Frankfurter Felix Frankfurter (November 15, 1882 – February 22, 1965) was an Austrian-American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1939 until 1962, during which period he was a noted advocate of judic ...

and finished fifth in his class.

Personal life

On May 15, 1917, while serving in the National Guard, Acheson married Alice Caroline Stanley (August 12, 1895 – January 20, 1996). She loved painting and politics and served as a stabilizing influence throughout their enduring marriage; they had three children:

David Campion Acheson David Campion Acheson (November 4, 1921 – August 16, 2018) was an American attorney. Son of one time United States Secretary of State Dean Acheson, he worked for the United States Atomic Energy Commission and served as an assistant to former Tr ...

, Jane Acheson Brown and Mary Eleanor Acheson Bundy.

Career

A new tradition of bright law students clerking for the U.S. Supreme Court had been begun by Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis. Acheson clerked for him for two terms from 1919 to 1921. Frankfurter and Brandeis were close associates, and future Supreme Court Justice Frankfurter suggested that Brandeis take on Acheson. Throughout his long career, Acheson displayed: :exceptional intellectual power and purpose, and tough inner fiber. He projected the long lines and aristocratic bearing of the thoroughbred horse, a self-assured grace, an acerbic elegance of mind, and a charm whose chief attraction was perhaps its penetrating candor.... ewas swift-flowing and direct.... Acheson was perceived as an 18th century rationalist ready to apply an irreverent wit to matters public and private.

Economic diplomacy

A lifelong

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, Acheson worked at a law firm in Washington,

Covington & Burling Covington & Burling LLP is an American multinational law firm. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the firm advises clients on transactional, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters. In 2021, Vault.com ranked Covington & Burling as ...

, often dealing with international legal issues before Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed him Undersecretary of the Treasury in March 1933. When Secretary William H. Woodin fell ill, Acheson suddenly found himself acting secretary despite his ignorance of finance. Because of his opposition to FDR's plan to deflate the dollar by controlling gold prices (thus creating inflation), he was forced to resign in November 1933. He resumed his law practice.

World War II

Brought back as assistant secretary of state on February 1, 1941, Acheson implemented much of Roosevelt's economic policy of aiding Great Britain and harming the

Axis Powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...

. Acheson implemented the Lend-Lease policy that helped re-arm Great Britain and the American/British/Dutch oil embargo that cut off 95 percent of Japanese oil supplies and escalated the crisis with Japan in 1941. Roosevelt froze all Japanese assets merely to disconcert them. He did not intend the flow of oil to Japan to cease. The president then departed Washington for Newfoundland to meet with Churchill. While he was gone Acheson used those frozen assets to deny Japan oil. Upon the president's return, he decided it would appear weak and appeasing to reverse the ''de facto'' oil embargo. In 1944, Acheson attended the

Bretton Woods Conference The Bretton Woods Conference, formally known as the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, was the gathering of 730 delegates from all 44 Allied nations at the Mount Washington Hotel, situated in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, Unite ...

as the head delegate from the State Department. At this conference the post-war international economic structure was designed. It was the birthplace of the

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster glo ...

the World Bank The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and best-known development bank in the world and an observer at the United Nations Development G ...

, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the last of which would evolve into the

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and ...

Cold War diplomacy

Later, in 1945, Harry S. Truman selected Acheson as the

Undersecretary Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a secretary (person in charge). It is used in the executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is al ...

of the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...

; he retained this position working under Secretaries of State

Edward Stettinius, Jr. Edward Reilly Stettinius Jr. (October 22, 1900 – October 31, 1949) was an American businessman who served as United States Secretary of State under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman from 1944 to 1945, and as U.S. Ambassador ...

James F. Byrnes James Francis Byrnes ( ; May 2, 1882 – April 9, 1972) was an American judge and politician from South Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in U.S. Congress and on the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as in the executive branch, ...

, and

George Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Chief of Staff of the US Army under Pre ...

. As late as 1946 Acheson sought détente with the Soviet Union. In 1946, as chairman of a special committee to prepare a plan for the international control of atomic energy, he wrote the Acheson–Lilienthal report. At first Acheson was conciliatory towards

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

. The Soviet Union's attempts at regional hegemony in

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whic ...

and in Turkey and Iran changed Acheson's thinking. From this point forward, one historian writes, "Acheson was more than 'present at the creation' of the Cold War; he was a primary architect." Acheson often was acting secretary during the secretary's frequent overseas trips, and during this period he cemented a close relationship with President Truman. Acheson devised the policy and wrote Truman's 1947 request to Congress for aid to Greece and Turkey, a speech which stressed the dangers of totalitarianism (but did not name the Soviet Union) and marked the fundamental change in American foreign policy that became known as the

. On June 30, 1947, Acheson received the

Medal for Merit The Medal for Merit was, during the period it was awarded, the highest civilian decoration of the United States. It was awarded by the President of the United States to civilians who "distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct i ...

from President Truman.

The ''White Paper'' Defense

During the summer of 1949, after the unexpected Democratic victory in the 1948 elections did not quiet the question " Who Lost China?", Acheson had the State Department produce a study of recent Sino-American relations. The document known officially as ''United States Relations with China with Special Reference to the Period 1944–1949'', which later was simply called the China ''

White Paper A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white pape ...

'', attempted to dismiss any misinterpretations of Chinese and American diplomacy toward each other. Published during the height of

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...

's takeover, the 1,054-page document argued that American intervention in China was doomed to failure. Although Acheson and Truman had hoped that the study would dispel rumors and conjecture, the documents helped to convince many critics that the administration had indeed failed to check the spread of communism in China.

Korean War

Acheson's speech on January 12, 1950, before the National Press Club did not mention the Korea Peninsula and Formosa (Taiwan) as part of the all-important "defense perimeter" of the United States. Since the war in Korea broke out on June 25, just a few months later, critics, especially in South Korea, took Acheson's statements to mean that the United States support for the new Syngman Rhee government in South Korea would be limited and that the speech provided Stalin and

Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

with a "green light" to believe the U.S. would not intervene if they invaded the South. When Soviet archives opened in the 1980s, however, research found that the speech had little if any impact on Communist decision for war in Korea.

The "loss of China" attacks

With the Communist takeover of mainland China in 1949, that country switched from a close friend of the U.S. to a bitter enemy—the two powers were at war in Korea by 1950. Critics blamed Acheson for what they called the "

loss of China In American political discourse, the "loss of China" is the unexpected Chinese Communist Party takeover of mainland China from the U.S.-backed Chinese Kuomintang government in 1949 and therefore the "loss of China to communism." Background During ...

" and launched several years of organized opposition to Acheson's tenure; Acheson ridiculed his opponents and called this period in his outspoken memoirs "The Attack of the Primitives". Although he maintained his role as a firm anti-communist, he was attacked by various anti-communists for not taking a more active role in attacking communism abroad and domestically, rather than hew to his policy of containment of communist expansion. Both he and Secretary of Defense

came under attack from men such as Joseph McCarthy; Acheson became a byword to some Americans, who tried to equate containment with appeasement. Congressman

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

, who later as president would call on Acheson for advice, ridiculed "Acheson's College of Cowardly Communist Containment". This criticism grew very loud after Acheson refused to "turn his back on Alger Hiss" when the latter was accused of being a Communist spy, and convicted of perjury for denying he was a spy.

Later life and death

Grave of Dean Acheson - Oak Hill Cemetery - 2013-09-04

He retired on January 20, 1953, the last day of the Truman administration, and served on the Yale board of trustees along with Senator

Robert A. Taft Robert Alphonso Taft Sr. (September 8, 1889 – July 31, 1953) was an American politician, lawyer, and scion of the Republican Party's Taft family. Taft represented Ohio in the United States Senate, briefly served as Senate Majority Leade ...

, one of his sharpest critics. He was elected a Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

in 1955. Acheson returned to his private law practice. Although his official governmental career was over, his influence was not. He was ignored by the Eisenhower administration but headed up Democratic policy groups in the late 1950s. Much of President

's flexible response policies came from the position papers drawn up by this group. Acheson's law offices were strategically located a few blocks from the White House and he accomplished much out of office. He became an unofficial advisor to the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, for example, he was dispatched by Kennedy to France to brief French President Charles de Gaulle and gain his support for the United States blockade. Acheson so strongly opposed the final decision merely to blockade that he resigned from the executive committee. During the 1960s, he was a leading member of a bipartisan group of establishment elders known as the Wise Men, who initially supported the Vietnam War. As secretary of state, Acheson had supported the French efforts to control Indochina as the necessary price for French support of NATO, and to contain communism. By 1968, however, his viewpoint had changed. President Johnson asked Acheson to reassess American military policy, and he concluded that military victory was impossible. He advised Johnson to pull out as quickly as possible, to avoid a deepening division inside the Democratic Party. Johnson took Acheson's advice, in terms of de-escalating the war, and deciding not to run for reelection. Acheson distrusted

Hubert Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Mi ...

, and supported Richard Nixon for president in 1968. He provided advice to the Nixon administration through

Henry Kissinger Henry Alfred Kissinger (; ; born Heinz Alfred Kissinger, May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presid ...

, focusing on NATO and on African affairs. He broke with Nixon in 1970 with the incursion into Cambodia. In 1964, he received the

Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merit ...

, with Distinction. In 1970, he won the

Pulitzer Prize for History The Pulitzer Prize for History, administered by Columbia University, is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It has been presented since 1917 for a distinguished book about the history ...

for his memoirs of his tenure in the State Department, '' Present at the Creation: My Years in the State Department''. The Modern Library placed the book at #47 on its top 100 non-fiction books of the 20th century. At 6:00p.m. on October 12, 1971, Acheson died of a massive stroke, at his farm home in

Sandy Spring, Maryland Sandy Spring is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Geography Sandy Spring's boundaries are roughly defined as Brooke Road and Dr. Bird Road to the north and west, Ednor Road to the south, and New Hampsh ...

, at the age of 78. His body was found slumped over his desk in his study. Acheson was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown, Washington, DC. He had a son, David C. Acheson (father of Eleanor D. Acheson), and two daughters, Jane Acheson Brown and Mary Acheson Bundy, wife of

William Bundy William Putnam Bundy (September 24, 1917 – October 6, 2000) was an American attorney and intelligence expert, an analyst with the CIA. Bundy served as a foreign affairs advisor to both presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He ha ...

In media

Acheson was portrayed by

John Dehner John Dehner (DAY-ner) (born John Dehner Forkum, also credited Dehner Forkum; November 23, 1915February 4, 1992) was an American stage, radio, film, and television actor. From the late 1930s to the late 1980s, he amassed a long list of performan ...

in the 1974 television docudrama, ''

The Missiles of October ''The Missiles of October'' is a 1974 docudrama made-for-television play about the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. The title evokes the 1962 book ''The Guns of August'' by Barbara Tuchman about the missteps amongst the great powers and the ...

. In the 2000 film '' Thirteen Days'', Acheson was played by

Len Cariou Leonard Joseph Cariou (; born September 30, 1939) is a Canadian actor and stage director, best known for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in the original cast of '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'', for which he won the Tony Award ...

Publications

Articles

* “Summary of Attorney General’s Committee Report”. ''

American Bar Association Journal The ''ABA Journal'' (since 1984, formerly ''American Bar Association Journal'', 1915–1983, evolved from '' Annual Bulletin'', 1908–1914) is a monthly legal trade magazine and the flagship publication of the American Bar Association. It is no ...

'', Vol. 27, No. 3 (March 1941), pp. 143–146. * “Mr. Justice Brandeis”. '' Harvard Law Review'', Vol. 55, No. 2 (December 1941), pp. 191–192. * “Text of the United States Note to the Soviet Union concerning the Question of the Turkish Straits, August 19, 1946”. ''

Middle East Journal ''The Middle East Journal'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Middle East Institute ( Washington, D.C.). It was established in 1947 and covers research on the modern Middle East, including political, economic, and socia ...

'', Vol. 1, No. 1 (January 1947), pp. 88–89.
“Statement on India by Dean Acheson, Acting U. S. Secretary of State, December 3, 1946”
''

'', Vol. 1, No. 2 (April 1947), p. 209. * “The Need and the Lack”. ''

The American Scholar "The American Scholar" was a speech given by Ralph Waldo Emerson on August 31, 1837, to the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Harvard College at the First Parish in Cambridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was invited to speak in recognition of his gro ...

'', Vol. 17, No. 4 (Autumn 1948), pp. 476–477. * “Abwehr von Aggressionen”. ''Ost-Probleme'', Vol. 2, No. 39 (September 28, 1950), p. 1240. * “Proklamation des Nationalen Notstands in USA”. ''Ost-Probleme'', Vol. 3, No. 1 (January 6, 1951), p. 31. Co-authored with

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

. * “The Development of the International Community.” ''Proceedings of the

American Society of International Law The American Society of International Law (ASIL), founded in 1906, was chartered by the United States Congress in 1950 to foster the study of international law, and to promote the establishment and maintenance of international relations on the ba ...

at Its Annual Meeting (1921–1969)'', Vol. 46 (April 24–26, 1952), pp. 18–25. * “The Illusion of Disengagement”. '' Foreign Affairs'', Vol. 36, No. 3 (April 1958), pp. 371–382.
“Felix Frankfurter”
'' Harvard Law Review'', Vol. 76, No. 1 (November 1962), pp. 14–16.
“The Practice of Partnership”
'' Foreign Affairs'', Vol. 41, No. 2 (January 1963), pp. 247–260. * “The Cuban Quarantine”. ''Proceedings of the

at Its Annual Meeting (1921–1969)'', Vol. 57, Law and Conflict: Changing Patterns and Contemporary Challenges (April 25–27, 1963), pp. 9–18. Co-authored by

Quincy Wright Philip Quincy Wright (December 28, 1890 – October 17, 1970) was an American political scientist based at the University of Chicago known for his pioneering work and expertise in international law, international relations, and security studies. ...

Abram Chayes Abram Chayes (July 18, 1922 – April 16, 2000) was an American scholar of international law closely associated with the administration of John F. Kennedy. He is best known for his "legal process" approach to international law, which attempted t ...

. * “Europe: Decision or Drift”. '' Foreign Affairs'', Vol. 44, No. 2 (January 1966), pp. 198–205. * “The Lawyer’s Path to Peace”. ''

The Virginia Quarterly Review The ''Virginia Quarterly Review'' is a quarterly literary magazine that was established in 1925 by James Southall Wilson, at the request of University of Virginia president E. A. Alderman. This ''"National Journal of Literature and Discussion" ...

'', Vol. 42, No. 3 (Summer 1966), pp. 337–348. * “The Arrogance of International Lawyers”. ''

The International Lawyer ''The International Lawyer'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed law journal and the official publication of the American Bar Association's (ABA) Section of International Law and Practice. It was established in 1966 and has been based at Southern Met ...

'', Vol. 2, No. 4 (July 1968), pp. 591–600. * “Removing the Shadow Cast on the Courts”. ''

'', Vol. 55, No. 10 (October 1969), pp. 919–922. * “The Eclipse of the State Department”. '' Foreign Affairs'', Vol. 49, No. 4 (July 1971), pp. 593–606. * “How Containment Worked”. '' Foreign Policy'', No. 7 (Summer 1972), pp. 41–53. Co-authored with Chalmers M. Roberts, W. Averell Harriman &

Arthur Krock Arthur Bernard Krock (November 16, 1886 – April 12, 1974) was a Pulitzer Prize winning American journalist. In a career spanning several decades covering the tenure of eleven United States presidents he became known as the "Dean of Washington ne ...

Book reviews

“Review of ''The Labor Law of Maryland'', by Malcolm H. Lauchheimer”
'' Harvard Law Review'', Vol. 33, No. 2 (December 1919), pp. 329–332
Full text
available on JSTOR.
“Review of ''Shaping the Future: Foreign Policy in an Age of Transition'', by Robert R. Bowie”
''

Political Science Quarterly ''Political Science Quarterly'' is an American double blind peer-reviewed academic journal covering government, politics, and policy, published since 1886 by the Academy of Political Science. Its editor-in-chief is Robert Y. Shapiro (Columbia U ...

'', Vol. 79, No. 3 (September 1964), pp. 435–436.

References

* "Dean Gooderham Acheson." ''Dictionary of American Biography'' (1994
online
* Beisner, Robert L
''Dean Acheson: A Life in the Cold War''
(New York: OUP USA, 2006), 800 pages; a standard scholarly biography
online
* Beisner, Robert L
"Patterns of Peril: Dean Acheson Joins the Cold Warriors, 1945–46
. ''

Diplomatic History Diplomatic history deals with the history of international relations between states. Diplomatic history can be different from international relations in that the former can concern itself with the foreign policy of one state while the latter deals ...

'', 20#3 (1996), pp. 321–355. . * Beisner, Robert L
“SHAFR Presidential Address: The Secretary, the Spy, and the Sage Dean Acheson, Alger Hiss, and George Kennan”
''

'', Vol. 27, No. 1 (January 2003), pp. 1–14. * Brinkley, Douglas. ''Dean Acheson: The Cold War Years, 1953–71''. (1992) 429 pages
online
* Brinkley, Douglas, ed. ''Dean Acheson and the Making of U.S. Foreign Policy''. (1993) 271 pages
online
* Brinkley, Douglas
“Dean Acheson and the 'Special Relationship': The West Point Speech of December 1962”
''

The Historical Journal ''The Historical Journal'', formerly known as ''The Cambridge Historical Journal'', is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Cambridge University Press. It publishes approximately thirty-five articles per year on all aspects of British, ...

'', 33#3 (September 1990), pp. 599–608. * Chace, James. ''Acheson: The Secretary of State Who Created the American World''. (

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...

, 1998),
online
* Fletcher, Luke. "The Collapse of the Western World: Acheson, Nitze, and the NSC 68/Rearmament Decision." ''

'', 40#4 (2016), pp. 750–777. * Frazier, Robert. "Acheson and the Formulation of the Truman Doctrine". ''

Journal of Modern Greek Studies The ''Journal of Modern Greek Studies'' is an academic journal founded in 1983, and is the official publication of the Modern Greek Studies Association. It is devoted to the study of social, cultural, and political affairs in modern Greece, define ...

'', Vol. 17, No. 2 (1999), pp. 229–251.
in Project Muse
* Garson, Robert. ''The United States and China since 1949: A Troubled Affair''.

Fairleigh Dickinson University Press Fairleigh Dickinson University Press (FDU Press) is a publishing house under the operation and oversight of Fairleigh Dickinson University, the largest private university in New Jersey, which has international campuses in Vancouver, British Colum ...

, Madison (1994), pp. 27–33 * Goulden, Joseph C. ''The Superlawyers: The Small and Powerful World of the Great Washington Law Firms''. (New York: Weybright and Talley, 1971) * Harper, John Lamberton. ''American Visions of Europe: Franklin D. Roosevelt, George F. Kennan, and Dean G. Acheson''.

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer. Cambridge University Pre ...

(1994), 378 pages. * Hopkins, Michael F. "President Harry Truman's Secretaries of State: Stettinius, Byrnes, Marshall and Acheson." ''

Journal of Transatlantic Studies The ''Journal of Transatlantic Studies'' (JTS) is a multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed academic journal that covers all aspects pertaining to transatlantic relations. The ''Journal of Transatlantic Studies'' is the official publication of the Tr ...

'', 6#3 (2008), pp. 290–304. * Hopkins, Michael F. ''Dean Acheson and the Obligations of Power'' (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017). 289 pages
excerpt
* Hopkins, Michael F. "Dean Acheson, Bretton Woods and the American Role in the International Economy." in ''Global Perspectives on the Bretton Woods Conference and the Post-War World Order'' (Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2017). * Isaacson, Walter, and

Evan Thomas Evan Welling Thomas III (born April 25, 1951) is an American journalist, historian, and author. He is the author of nine books, including two ''New York Times'' bestsellers. Early life and career Thomas was born in Huntington, New York, and r ...

. '' The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made''. (1997), 864 pages. – Covers Acheson and colleagues

Charles E. Bohlen Charles "Chip" Eustis Bohlen (August 30, 1904 – January 1, 1974) was an American diplomat, ambassador, and expert on the Soviet Union. He helped shape US foreign policy during World War II and the Cold War and helped develop the Marshall Pla ...

, W. Averell Harriman,

George Kennan George Frost Kennan (February 16, 1904 – March 17, 2005) was an American diplomat and historian. He was best known as an advocate of a policy of containment of Soviet expansion during the Cold War. He lectured widely and wrote scholarly histo ...

, Robert Lovett, and

John J. McCloy John Jay McCloy (March 31, 1895 – March 11, 1989) was an American lawyer, diplomat, banker, and a presidential advisor. He served as Assistant Secretary of War during World War II under Henry Stimson, helping deal with issues such as German sa ...

online
* Leffler, Melvyn P
"Strategy, Diplomacy, and the Cold War: the United States, Turkey, and NATO, 1945–1952"
''

Journal of American History ''The Journal of American History'' is the official academic journal of the Organization of American Historians. It covers the field of American history and was established in 1914 as the ''Mississippi Valley Historical Review'', the official j ...

'', 71#4 (1985), pp. 807–825. * McGlothlen, Ronald L. ''Controlling the Waves: Dean Acheson and US Foreign Policy in Asia'' (1993
online
* McLellan, David S. ''Dean Acheson: The State Department Years''. (New York: Dodd Mead & Co, 1976), 466 pages
online
* McMahon, Robert J. ''Dean Acheson and the Creation of an American World Order'' (Washington: Potomac, 2009), 257 pages
online
* McNay, John T. ''Acheson and Empire: The British Accent in American Foreign Policy'' (2001
online
* * Merrill, Dennis. "The Truman Doctrine: Containing Communism and Modernity". ''

Presidential Studies Quarterly ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed political science journal dedicated to the scholarly study of the presidency of the United States. It was established in 1971 as ''Center House Bulletin'', obtaining its current name i ...

'', 36#1 (2006), pp. 27–3
online
* Offner, Arnold A. "'Another Such Victory': President Truman, American Foreign Policy, and the Cold War". ''

'', 23#2 (1999), pp. 127–155. * Offner, Arnold A. ''Another Such Victory: President Truman and the Cold War''. (2002) 640 pages. – Highly negative
excerpts and text search
* Perlmutter, Oscar William
"The 'Neo-Realism' of Dean Acheson"
''

The Review of Politics ''The Review of Politics'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals s ...

'', 26#1 (January 1964), pp. 100–123. * Perlmutter, Oscar William
"Acheson and the Diplomacy of World War II"
''

The Western Political Quarterly ''Political Research Quarterly'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal that covers the field of political science. The editor-in-chief is Charles Anthony Smith (University of California, Irvine); with associate editors: Andrew Flores (Ameri ...

'', 14#4 (December 1961), pp. 896–911. * Purifoy, Lewis McCarroll. ''Harry Truman's China Policy''. (New York: Franklin Watts, 1976), pp. 125–150. . * Smith, Gaddis. ''Dean Acheson'' (1972), major scholarly biograph
online
* Spalding, Elizabeth Edwards. ''The First Cold Warrior: Harry Truman, Containment, and the Remaking of Liberal Internationalism''. (2006
excerpt
* Steil, Benn. ''The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War'' (2018) 608pp
excerpt
* Stupak, Ronald J. ''The shaping of foreign policy; the role of the Secretary of State as seen by Dean Acheson'' (1969
online
* Wells, Samuel F. "Dean Acheson Leads The Defense Of Europe." in ''Fearing the Worst'' (Columbia UP, 2019). 269-303.

Primary sources

* Acheson, Dean. ''A Democrat Looks at His Party'' (1955) * Acheson, Dean. ''A Citizen Looks at Congress'' (1957) * Acheson, Dean. ''Sketches from Life of Men I Have Known'' (1961) *
online
* Acheson, Dean. '' Present at the Creation'' (1969
online
* Acheson, Dean. ''The Korean War'' (1971) * 222 pages. * McLellan, David S., and David C. Acheson, eds. ''Among Friends: Personal Letters of Dean Acheson'' (1980) * Truman, Harry S. and Dean Acheson. ''Affection and trust: the personal correspondence of Harry S. Truman and Dean Acheson, 1953-1971'' (2010
online

External links

Work on Acheson's Role in Designing the Foreign Policy Stance of the Democratic Party after the 1952 election.

Annotated bibliography for Dean Acheson from the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues
* FOIAbr>FBI file
at

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Acheson, Dean G. 1893 births 1971 deaths 20th-century American politicians American Episcopalians American male non-fiction writers American people of Canadian descent American people of English descent American political writers Bretton Woods Conference delegates Burials at Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.) Connecticut Democrats Connecticut lawyers Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Gooderham family Groton School alumni Harvard Law School alumni Historians from Connecticut Historians from Maryland Law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States Lawyers from Washington, D.C. Medal for Merit recipients Military personnel from Connecticut People associated with Covington & Burling People from Sandy Spring, Maryland Politicians from Middletown, Connecticut Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Pulitzer Prize for History winners Truman administration cabinet members United States Secretaries of State Yale College alumni