John Davis Lodge
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John Davis Lodge (October 20, 1903 – October 29, 1985), United States Republican politician, was governor of Connecticut from 1951 to 1955. He was also an actor and U.S. Ambassador to Spain, Argentina and Switzerland.
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[edit] Early life
Lodge was born in Washington, D.C. into a prominent political family. He was the great-great-great-grandson of George Cabot, the grandson of Henry Cabot Lodge, the nephew of Augustus Peabody Gardner, the son of George Cabot Lodge and Mathilda Elizabeth Frelinghuysen (Davis) Lodge and the brother of Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.
Lodge attended the Evans School in Mesa, Arizona, the Middlesex School, Concord, Massachusetts, and Ecole de Droit, Paris, France. He graduated from Harvard University in 1925. He was a member of the Fox Club. He graduated from the Harvard Law School in 1929. He was admitted to the New York bar in 1932 and commenced practice in New York City. He was married July 6, 1929, to actress and ballet dancer, Francesca Braggiotti. He became affiliated with the motion-picture industry and the theater 1933-1942, appearing in movies such as Little Women, The Scarlet Empress, and The Little Colonel."
He served with the United States Navy as a lieutenant and lieutenant commander August 1942 to January 1946 and was a liaison officer between the French and American fleets. He was decorated with the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor and with the Croix de Guerre with palm by General Charles de Gaulle. After the war he engaged in research work in economics.
[edit] Political career
He was elected as a Republican from Connecticut's 4th congressional district to the 80th and 81st Congresses, serving from January 3, 1947 to January 3, 1951. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1950. He was elected Governor of Connecticut, serving from January 1951 to January 1955 and was unsuccessful for reelection in 1954. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention from Connecticut in 1952 and 1960.
Local legend is that the proximate cause of Lodge's defeat in 1954 to Abraham Ribicoff was disenchantment on the part of Fairfield County Republicans with the disruption caused by the construction of the Connecticut Turnpike. Ironically, the highway is now named after the former Governor. [1]
Lodge then served as United States Ambassador to Spain from January 1955 until January 1961. He was National president, Junior Achievement, Inc., 1963-1964. He was an unsuccessful candidate for U.S. Senator from Connecticut in 1964. He was chairman, Committee Foreign Policy Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, 1964-1969; delegate and assistant floor leader, Connecticut Constitutional Convention, in 1965; United States Ambassador to Argentina, 1969 to 1974; United States Ambassador to Switzerland, 1983. He was a resident of Westport, Connecticut until his death in New York City. He was interred in Arlington National Cemetery.
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| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Clare B. Luce |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 4th congressional district 1947–1951 |
Succeeded by Albert P. Morano |
| Preceded by Chester Bowles |
Governor of Connecticut 1951–1955 |
Succeeded by Abraham A. Ribicoff |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by Carter L. Burgess |
United States Ambassador to Argentina 23 July 1969–10 November 1973 |
Succeeded by Robert C. Hill |
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