Dean acheson biography
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Dean Acheson
American politician and lawyer (–)
Dean Acheson | |
|---|---|
| In office January 21, – January 20, | |
| President | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | George C. Marshall |
| Succeeded by | John Foster Dulles |
| In office August 16, – June 30, | |
| President | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Joseph Grew |
| Succeeded by | Robert A. Lovett |
| In office December 20, – August 15, | |
| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Ernest A. Gross |
| Born | Dean Gooderham Acheson ()April 11, Middletown, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | October 12, () (aged78) Sandy Spring, Maryland, U.S. |
| Resting place | Oak Hill Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, including David |
| Education | Yale University (BA) Harvard University (LLB) |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States National Guard |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Dean Gooder
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Biographies of the Secretaries of State: Dean Gooderham Acheson (–)
Influence on American Diplomacy
As Secretary of State, Acheson played an important role in shaping U.S. policy during the early Cold War. Acheson enjoyed a good working relationship with President Harry S. Truman, who often allowed Acheson to be the first official to speak on record about U.S. foreign policy decisions.
Although Acheson supported the containment of communism and the tenets of the Truman Doctrine, he was also a realist who recognized that the Soviet Union was not only an ideological opponent, but also a viable global power that had to be viewed as a serious geopolitical challenge to U.S. interests. This belief shaped Acheson’s approach to the many foreign policy challenges that faced the United States during his tenure.
Chief among these was the question of what to do with Germany and how to prevent future Soviet influence there. To this end, Acheson supported the formation of the North Atla