Joseph Grew

Joseph Grew
5th and 13th United States Under Secretary of State
In office
December 20, 1944 – August 15, 1945
PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
Preceded byEdward Stettinius Jr.
Succeeded byDean Acheson
In office
April 16, 1924 – June 30, 1927
PresidentCalvin Coolidge
Preceded byWilliam Phillips
Succeeded byRobert E. Olds
United States Secretary of State
Ad interim
In office
June 28, 1945 – July 3, 1945
PresidentHarry S. Truman
Preceded byEdward Stettinius Jr.
Succeeded byJames F. Byrnes
13th United States Ambassador to Japan
In office
June 14, 1932 – December 8, 1941
PresidentHerbert Hoover
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded byW. Cameron Forbes
Succeeded byWilliam J. Sebald (ad interim)
6th United States Ambassador to Turkey
In office
October 12, 1927 – March 13, 1932
PresidentCalvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
Preceded byAbram I. Elkus (Ottoman Empire)
Succeeded byCharles H. Sherrill
26th United States Ambassador to Switzerland
In office
September 24, 1921 – March 22, 1924
PresidentWarren G. Harding
Calvin Coolidge
Preceded byHampson Gary
Succeeded byHugh S. Gibson
32nd United States Ambassador to Denmark
In office
April 7, 1920 – October 14, 1921
PresidentWoodrow Wilson
Warren G. Harding
Preceded byNorman Hapgood
Succeeded byJohn Dyneley Prince
Personal details
Born
Joseph Clark Grew

(1880-05-27)May 27, 1880
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedMay 25, 1965(1965-05-25) (aged 84)
SpouseAlice (Perry) Grew
ChildrenLilla Cabot Grew
Alma materHarvard University

Joseph Clark Grew (May 27, 1880 – May 25, 1965) was an American career diplomat and Foreign Service officer. He is best known as the ambassador to Japan from 1932 to 1941[1] and as a high official in the State Department in Washington from 1944 to 1945. He opposed American hardliners, sought to avoid war, and helped to ensure the soft Japanese surrender in 1945 that enabled a peaceful American occupation of Japan after the war.

After numerous minor diplomatic appointments, Grew was the Ambassador to Denmark (1920–1921) and Ambassador to Switzerland (1921–1924). In 1924, Grew became the Under Secretary of State and oversaw the establishment of the US Foreign Service. Grew then became Ambassador to Turkey (1927–1932). As Ambassador to Japan (1932–1941), he opposed American hardliners and recommended negotiation with Tokyo to avoid war until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941). He was interned until American and Japanese diplomats were formally exchanged in 1942.[1]

On return to Washington, DC, he became the second official in the State Department as Under Secretary and sometimes served as acting Secretary of State. He successfully promoted a soft peace with Japan that would allow Emperor Hirohito to maintain his status, which facilitated the Emperor's decision to surrender in 1945.

  1. ^ a b Kemper, Steve (7 November 2022). "The American Ambassador Who Tried to Prevent Pearl Harbor". Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 9 November 2022.