Secretaries of State: Cordell Hull
Today it seems unimaginable for anyone to hold a cabinet post for an entire presidential term. Cordell Hull was Secretary of State for over eleven and a half years, from March 4, 1933 to November 30, 1944. He was a key advisor for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and is considered by some as one of the greatest diplomats in American history. For others he is vilified for his unprincipled response to the issue of the plight of European Jews during the Hitler years.
Cordell Hull (no middle name) was born in a log cabin in Olympus, in Pickett County, Tennessee on October 2, 1871. A bright young man with an early interest in politics, Hull was elected chairman of the Clay County Democratic Party at age 19. He attended National Normal University from 1889 until 1890 and in 1891, Hull graduated from Cumberland School of Law at Cumberland University. He served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1893 to 1897. He fought in the Spanish–American War, serving in Cuba as a captain in the Fourth Regiment of the Tennessee Volunteer Infantry.
From 1903 to 1907, Hull served as a local judge. He served eleven terms in the United States House of Representatives 1907–1921 and from 1923–1931. He wrote the federal income tax laws of 1913 and 1916 and the inheritance tax law of 1916. In the interim of the only election that he lost, in 1920, Hull served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. After his return to to the House in 1922, he was elected to the Senate in 1930, but did not serve a complete term because in 1933 he was named Secretary of State in Franklin Roosevelt's cabinet. While in Congress, Hull was a member of the powerful Ways and Means committee. He supported low tariffs and was one of several candidates for president at the 1928 Democratic National Convention.
Roosevelt appointed Hull to lead the American delegation to the London Economic Conference. Hull worked to increase foreign trade and lower tariffs. In 1943, Hull served as United States delegate to the Moscow Conference.
In 1938, Hull clashed with Mexican Foreign Minister Eduardo Hay over the failure of Mexico to compensate Americans who lost farmlands during the Agrarian reforms of the late 1920s. Hay agreed that Mexico was responsible for the payment, but disagreed with Hull over the time of the payment. Hull pursued the "Good Neighbor Policy" with Latin American nations. He is credited with preventing Nazi collaboration in that region. Hull and Roosevelt also maintained relations with Vichy France. He was responsible for United States foreign relations before and during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He sent a note to Japan prior to the attack, which was formally titled "Outline of proposed Basis for Agreement Between The United States and Japan". On the day of the attack, Hull received the news that it was taking place while Japanese ambassador Kichisaburō Nomura and Japan's special envoy Saburō Kurusu were waiting to see him with a fourteen-part message from the Japanese government officially notifying of a breakdown in negotiations. Roosevelt advised him not to tell them about the raid. But instead, Hull turned his anger on the Japanese diplomats. He is reported to have told them, "In all my fifty years of public service, I have never seen such a document that was more crowded with infamous falsehood and distortion."
According to some reports, Hull did not fully enjoy Roosevelt's confidence. Roosevelt preferred to deal with Under Secretary Sumner Welles, who usurped many of the Hull's functions. Author Jay Winik casts blame on Welles for convincing Roosevelt to ignore many of the Nazi atrocities against European Jews. But Hull was also criticized for being unsympathetic to their plight. In 1939, Hull advised President Roosevelt to reject the SS St. Louis, a German ocean liner carrying 936 Jews seeking asylum from Germany. Hull's decision sent the Jews back to Europe on the eve of the Nazi Holocaust. Many of the passengers were ultimately murdered by the Nazis. Hull was at odds with Roosevelt's Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, who pled for acceptance of the Jewish refugees. On June 5, 1939, Hull told Morgenthau that the passengers could not legally be issued U.S. tourist visas as they had no return addresses.
In September 1940, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt worked behind the scenes with another State Department official to bypass Hull's refusal to allow Jewish refugees aboard a Portuguese ship, the SS Quanza. Through Mrs. Roosevelt's efforts, the Jewish refugees disembarked on September 11, 1940, in Virginia. In another incident, American Jews raised money to prevent the mass murder of Romanian Jews. In wartime, in order to send money out of the United States, two government agencies had to approve: the Treasury Department under Henry Morgenthau and the State Department under Hull. Morgenthau signed immediately, but Hull procrastinated on the decision.
In 1940, Jewish representatives in the USA lodged an official complaint against the discriminatory policies the State Department was applying for the Jews. A Jewish congressman petitioned the President for his permission to allow twenty thousand Jewish children from Europe to enter the USA. Roosevelt and Hull did not respond to the petition as the war progressed. One of the greatest criticisms of the Roosevelt administration and of Cordell Hull was about how they handled the issue of Nazi atrocities against European Jews.
As Secretary of State, Hull became the visionary and architect of the United Nations. He drafted the United Nations Charter in mid-1943. He resigned as Secretary of State on November 30, 1944 because of failing health. In 1945, Hull was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in creating the United Nations.
Hull resigned on November 30, 1944 because of failing health. He was and still is the longest-serving Secretary of State, having served 11 years, nine months in that post. Roosevelt described Hull upon his departure as "the one person in all the world who has done his most to make this great plan for peace (the United Nations) an effective fact". The Norwegian Nobel Committee honored Hull with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945 in recognition of his work to establish the United Nations.
Hull died on July 23, 1955, at age 83, at his home in Washington, D.C.. He is buried in the vault of the Chapel of St. Joseph of Arimathea in the Washington National Cathedral.
Cordell Hull (no middle name) was born in a log cabin in Olympus, in Pickett County, Tennessee on October 2, 1871. A bright young man with an early interest in politics, Hull was elected chairman of the Clay County Democratic Party at age 19. He attended National Normal University from 1889 until 1890 and in 1891, Hull graduated from Cumberland School of Law at Cumberland University. He served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1893 to 1897. He fought in the Spanish–American War, serving in Cuba as a captain in the Fourth Regiment of the Tennessee Volunteer Infantry.
From 1903 to 1907, Hull served as a local judge. He served eleven terms in the United States House of Representatives 1907–1921 and from 1923–1931. He wrote the federal income tax laws of 1913 and 1916 and the inheritance tax law of 1916. In the interim of the only election that he lost, in 1920, Hull served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. After his return to to the House in 1922, he was elected to the Senate in 1930, but did not serve a complete term because in 1933 he was named Secretary of State in Franklin Roosevelt's cabinet. While in Congress, Hull was a member of the powerful Ways and Means committee. He supported low tariffs and was one of several candidates for president at the 1928 Democratic National Convention.
Roosevelt appointed Hull to lead the American delegation to the London Economic Conference. Hull worked to increase foreign trade and lower tariffs. In 1943, Hull served as United States delegate to the Moscow Conference.
In 1938, Hull clashed with Mexican Foreign Minister Eduardo Hay over the failure of Mexico to compensate Americans who lost farmlands during the Agrarian reforms of the late 1920s. Hay agreed that Mexico was responsible for the payment, but disagreed with Hull over the time of the payment. Hull pursued the "Good Neighbor Policy" with Latin American nations. He is credited with preventing Nazi collaboration in that region. Hull and Roosevelt also maintained relations with Vichy France. He was responsible for United States foreign relations before and during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He sent a note to Japan prior to the attack, which was formally titled "Outline of proposed Basis for Agreement Between The United States and Japan". On the day of the attack, Hull received the news that it was taking place while Japanese ambassador Kichisaburō Nomura and Japan's special envoy Saburō Kurusu were waiting to see him with a fourteen-part message from the Japanese government officially notifying of a breakdown in negotiations. Roosevelt advised him not to tell them about the raid. But instead, Hull turned his anger on the Japanese diplomats. He is reported to have told them, "In all my fifty years of public service, I have never seen such a document that was more crowded with infamous falsehood and distortion."
According to some reports, Hull did not fully enjoy Roosevelt's confidence. Roosevelt preferred to deal with Under Secretary Sumner Welles, who usurped many of the Hull's functions. Author Jay Winik casts blame on Welles for convincing Roosevelt to ignore many of the Nazi atrocities against European Jews. But Hull was also criticized for being unsympathetic to their plight. In 1939, Hull advised President Roosevelt to reject the SS St. Louis, a German ocean liner carrying 936 Jews seeking asylum from Germany. Hull's decision sent the Jews back to Europe on the eve of the Nazi Holocaust. Many of the passengers were ultimately murdered by the Nazis. Hull was at odds with Roosevelt's Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, who pled for acceptance of the Jewish refugees. On June 5, 1939, Hull told Morgenthau that the passengers could not legally be issued U.S. tourist visas as they had no return addresses.
In September 1940, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt worked behind the scenes with another State Department official to bypass Hull's refusal to allow Jewish refugees aboard a Portuguese ship, the SS Quanza. Through Mrs. Roosevelt's efforts, the Jewish refugees disembarked on September 11, 1940, in Virginia. In another incident, American Jews raised money to prevent the mass murder of Romanian Jews. In wartime, in order to send money out of the United States, two government agencies had to approve: the Treasury Department under Henry Morgenthau and the State Department under Hull. Morgenthau signed immediately, but Hull procrastinated on the decision.
In 1940, Jewish representatives in the USA lodged an official complaint against the discriminatory policies the State Department was applying for the Jews. A Jewish congressman petitioned the President for his permission to allow twenty thousand Jewish children from Europe to enter the USA. Roosevelt and Hull did not respond to the petition as the war progressed. One of the greatest criticisms of the Roosevelt administration and of Cordell Hull was about how they handled the issue of Nazi atrocities against European Jews.
As Secretary of State, Hull became the visionary and architect of the United Nations. He drafted the United Nations Charter in mid-1943. He resigned as Secretary of State on November 30, 1944 because of failing health. In 1945, Hull was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in creating the United Nations.
Hull resigned on November 30, 1944 because of failing health. He was and still is the longest-serving Secretary of State, having served 11 years, nine months in that post. Roosevelt described Hull upon his departure as "the one person in all the world who has done his most to make this great plan for peace (the United Nations) an effective fact". The Norwegian Nobel Committee honored Hull with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945 in recognition of his work to establish the United Nations.
Hull died on July 23, 1955, at age 83, at his home in Washington, D.C.. He is buried in the vault of the Chapel of St. Joseph of Arimathea in the Washington National Cathedral.