Robert Bacon | |
|---|---|
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| United States Ambassador to France | |
| In office December 31, 1909 – April 19, 1912 | |
| President | William Howard Taft |
| Preceded by | Henry White |
| Succeeded by | Myron T. Herrick |
| 39th United States Secretary of State | |
| In office January 27, 1909 – March 5, 1909 | |
| President | Theodore Roosevelt William Howard Taft |
| Preceded by | Elihu Root |
| Succeeded by | Philander C. Knox |
| 26th United States Assistant Secretary of State | |
| In office October 11, 1905 – January 27, 1909 | |
| President | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Francis B. Loomis |
| Succeeded by | John Callan O'Laughlin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 5, 1860 Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, U.S. (now part of Boston) |
| Died | May 29, 1919 (aged 58) New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Martha Waldron Cowdin |
| Children | 4, including Robert, Gaspar |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) |
| Signature | .png){kind=small} |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
Robert Bacon (July 5, 1860 – May 29, 1919) was an American athlete, banker, businessman, statesman, diplomat and Republican Party politician who served as the 39th United States Secretary of State in the Theodore Roosevelt administration from January to March 1909.[1] He also served as Assistant Secretary of State from 1905 to 1909 and Ambassador to France from 1909 to 1912.[2]
Bacon was a native of Boston, Massachusetts and attended Harvard College. While a student at Harvard, he starred in athletics, captaining the football team, rowing crew, and winning events in boxing and track. He befriended future president Theodore Roosevelt, leading to a lifelong friendship and professional relationship. After graduation, he became an investment banker with the firm of Lee, Higginson & Co. before joining J.P. Morgan & Co. in New York.
As Secretary of State, Bacon pressed Roosevelt's interests in the United States Senate to ratify treaties with Colombia and the new nation of Panama to resolve disputes over the Panama Canal. He continued to advance United States interests in Latin America after leaving office, conducting a tour of the region for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and publishing a treatise arguing for better relations with South America.[3]
Bacon was a leader in the movement for military preparedness following the outbreak of the First World War, establishing training programs for potential soldiers and officers prior to American entry to the war. In 1916, he narrowly lost the Republican primary for United States Senator from New York to William M. Calder. He was commissioned as a major in the United States Army in 1917 and served under General John Pershing in France. Pershing appointed Bacon to a major role as the chief American liaison to British General Headquarters.[3] Bacon returned to the United States following the war but died from complications following surgery less than two months after his arrival in New York City.
- ^ Scott, James Brown (1920). "In Memoriam—Robert Bacon". American Journal of International Law. 14 (3): 403–406. doi:10.1017/S0002930000133895. ISSN 0002-9300.
- ^ "Col. Robert Bacon Dies In Hospital. Ex-Secretary of State Expires of Blood Poisoning After Mastoiditis Operation. Ex-Ambassador To France. Noted Financier Was Former Member of Firm of J. Pierpont Morgan. His War Services. Robert Bacon's Career. Aided Roosevelt in Coal Strike. Advocate of Preparedness. Criticised Wilson's Policies". New York Times. May 30, 1919. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
Colonel Robert Bacon, former Secretary of State and ex-Ambassador to France, died last night at 11:30 o'clock in the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, as the result of the development of blood poisoning in the neck following an operation for mastoiditis ...
- ^ a b "Robert Bacon (1909) | Miller Center". millercenter.org. October 4, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2024.