Born: October 20, 1903
Died: October 29, 1985
Birth State: Washington, D.C.
Party: Republican
Family: Married Francesca Braggiotti; two children
Religion: Congregationalist
School(s): Harvard University, Harvard Law School
| Periods in Office: | From: | January 3, 1951 |
| | To: | January 5, 1955 |
State Web Site
Higher Office(s) Served: Ambassador
Military Service: Navy
War(s) Served: World War II
Honors/Awards: Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor, Croix de Guerre with Palm JOHN DAVIS LODGE, grandson of Henry Cabot Lodge, was born in Washington, D.C., on October 20, 1903. He had a worldly education, attending school at the Evans School in Mesa, Arizona, the Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts, and the Ecole de Droit in Paris, France. He graduated from Harvard University in 1925, and Harvard Law School in 1929. Lodge also was a professional actor from 1933 to 1940, and appeared in several movies, including Little Women. During World War II, he served as lieutenant and lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, and was a liaison between the French and the U.S. Fleets. Lodge was decorated for his service with the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor and with the Croix de Guerre with Palm. He entered politics as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, an office he held from 1947 to 1950. Lodge won the 1950 Republican gubernatorial nomination, and was elected Connecticut's 62nd governor. During his tenure, he endorsed legislation that improved unemployment and workmen's compensation benefits. Laws passed that increased funding for educational issues, and authorization was granted for the construction of public buildings. Lodge ran unsuccessfully for reelection in 1954. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Spain from 1955 to 1961, was the national president of the Junior Achievement, Inc. from 1963 to 1964, and chaired the University of Pennsylvania's Foreign Policy Research Institute, serving from 1964 to 1969. He served as a delegate to the 1965 Connecticut Constitutional Convention. Lodge was ambassador to Argentina from 1969 to 1974 and ambassador to Switzerland in 1983. Governor John D. Lodge died on October 29, 1985, and is buried at the Arlington National Cemetery. Sources: Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 1, Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols. Arlington National Cemetery Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress |
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