William Dodd (ambassador)

For his son, the American political activist, see William Edward Dodd Jr.

William Dodd
International News Photos photograph of Professor Dodd, shortly after his nomination as Ambassador to Germany.
United States Ambassador to Germany
In office
August 30, 1933 (1933-08-30) – December 29, 1937 (1937-12-29)
PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded byFrederic M. Sackett
Succeeded byHugh R. Wilson
Personal details
Born
William Edward Dodd

(1869-10-21)October 21, 1869
Clayton, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedFebruary 9, 1940(1940-02-09) (aged 70)
Round Hill, Loudoun County, Virginia, U.S.
Resting placeRock Creek Cemetery
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Martha Ida "Mattie" Johns
​
​
(m. 1901; died 1938)​
ChildrenBill, Martha
Parents
  • John D. Dodd
  • Evelyn Creech
Alma mater
Occupation
  • Historian
  • Diplomat[1]

William Edward Dodd (October 21, 1869 – February 9, 1940)[2] was an American historian, author and diplomat. A liberal Democrat, he served as the United States Ambassador to Germany from 1933 to 1937 during the Nazi era. Initially a holder of the slightly antisemitic notions of his times,[3] he went to Germany with instructions from President Franklin D. Roosevelt to do what he could to protest Nazi treatment of Jews in Germany "unofficially",[4] while also attempting to follow official State Department instructions to maintain cordial official diplomatic relations.[5] Convinced from firsthand observation that the Nazis were an increasing threat, he resigned over his inability to mobilize the Roosevelt administration, particularly the State Department, to counter the Nazis prior to the start of World War II.[6][7][8]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference dict was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Gass, W. Conard. "Dodd, William Edward". NCpedia.com. North Carolina Government & Heritage Library at the State Library of North Carolina. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  3. ^ Maslin, Janet (May 19, 2011). "Books of The Times: Perched in Berlin With Hitler Rising". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Kennedy, David M. (1999). Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 412. ISBN 978-0-19-503834-7.
  5. ^ Dallek, Robert (2013). Democrat and Diplomat: The Life of William E. Dodd. New York: Oxford University Press. p. preface. ISBN 978-0-19-993172-9.
  6. ^ Kellogg, Paul Underwood (1938). Survey Graphic, Volume 27. New York: Survey Associates, Incorporated. p. 389.
  7. ^ American Hebrew and Jewish Tribune, Volume 141, Issue 17. New York: American Hebrew Publishing Co., Inc. 1937. p. 1937.
  8. ^ Lunden, Jennifer (December 30, 2011). "Resisting Hitler's Rise 'In the Garden of Beasts'". National Public Radio. Washington, DC.