Sumner Welles

by Welles, Benjamin

In 1915, Sumner Welles, the son of an aristocratic family, began to work for the U.S. State Department, where he quickly showed an aptitude for the delicate job of international negotiation. His early successes in Latin America later brought him to the attention of Franklin Roosevelt, who brought him into his administration as Assistant Secretary of State. While Welles provided FDR with invaluable information about Europe and Japan, his main achievement was the development of U.S. relations with Latin America. His bright career, however, was not to last. In 1940, FDR and his cabinet traveled to the funeral of William Bankhead, Speaker of the House. On the return journey, Welles allegedly propositioned a Pullman car porter, allowing an aspect of his life, heretofore hidden, to emerge. The scandal became public and Welles resigned in 1943, thereby ending his career. This first biography of Sumner Welles is candidly written by his son, Benjamin Welles.