An American diplomat who pressed for free trade and international institutions
On November 26, 1941, he delivered the Outline of Proposed Basis for Agreement Between the United States and Japan to the Japanese ambassador.
Cordell Hull was a Democratic politician and diplomat who helped shape U.S. free-trade policy and a multilateral international order. He promoted lower trade barriers and the Good Neighbor policy in the 1930s, while often working in tension with Franklin D. Roosevelt, who retained final control over foreign policy. In the 1941 negotiations with Japan, Hull delivered the November 26 Outline of Proposed Basis for Agreement, the last major diplomatic document before the Pacific War. Afterward, his work for the United Nations earned him the 1945 Nobel Peace Prize.
Career Timeline
- 1893–1897Member, Tennessee House of Representatives
- 1907–1921U.S. Representative
- 1921–1924Chairman, Democratic National Committee
- 1923–1931U.S. Representative
- 1931–1933U.S. Senator from Tennessee
- 1933–1944United States Secretary of State
- 1945Delegate, United Nations Conference on International Organization