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Dr. William
"Willie" Edward Dodd, Sr. |
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Born: 21 Oct 1869, Clayton, Johnston
County, NC Died: 09 Feb 1940, Rock Hill, Loudoun County, VA
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William Edward Dodd was born 21 Oct 186 in Clayton,
Johnston County, NC. He was the first child born to John
Daniel Dodd (1848-1941) and Evaline Creech
(1848-1909). William was called "Willie" by his family and
friends. |
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William Edward Dodd, Sr. |
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John Daniel Dodd and Evaline Creech Dodd had at
eight children - with William Edward Dodd being the eldest. |
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Children of John Daniel Dodd and Evaline Creech |
Name |
Birth |
Death |
Spouse |
William "Willie" Edward Dodd, Sr. |
21 Oct 1869
Johnston Co, NC |
09 Feb 1940
Loudoun Co, VA |
1) Martha Ida
"Mattie" Johns |
Rev. Walter Henley Dodd |
18 Nov 1872
Johnston Co, NC |
26 Apr 1950
Davie Co, NC |
1) Lenora Taylor
2) Jessie Mallonee |
Alonzo Lewis
Dodd |
09 Mar 1875
Johnston Co, NC |
14 Dec 1952
Bibb Co, GA |
Dora D. Williams |
John
Ivan Dodd |
16 Sep
1876
Johnston Co, NC |
23 Aug
1961
New Hanover Co, NC |
Clemmie
Newell |
Martha "Mattie"
Ella Dodd |
07 Nov 1878
Johnston Co, NC |
08 Jan 1828
Wake Co, NC |
Ivon Dennis Jones |
Mary Dodd |
27 Sep 1881
Johnston Co, NC |
13 May 1882
Johnston Co, NC |
(Died in Infancy) |
Eff David Dodd |
11 Feb 1884
Johnston Co, NC |
13 Oct 1966
Union Co, nC |
Nora Finch |
Anna R. Dodd |
Feb 1886
Johnston Co, NC |
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The 1880 Census shows the Dodd family living in the
Clayton Township of Johnston County, NC. John Daniel
Dodd was 33 and working as a farmer. His wife, Eveline,
was 30. There were five children living on the family farm in
1880: Willie/William Edward (age 10), Walter
Henley (age 8), Alonzo Lewis (age 6), John
Ivan (age 3) and Martha Ella (age 1). |
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1880 Johnston County, NC,
Census |
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|
Name |
Personal Description |
Relationship |
Civil Condition |
Occupation |
Birth |
Last |
First |
Race |
Sex |
Age |
Single |
Married |
Self |
Father |
Mother |
Dodd |
John |
W |
M |
33 |
(Head) |
|
/ |
Farmer |
NC |
NC |
NC |
------ |
Eveline |
W |
F |
30 |
Wife |
|
/ |
Keeping House |
NC |
NC |
NC |
------ |
Willie |
W |
M |
10 |
Son |
/ |
|
Laborer |
NC |
NC |
NC |
------ |
Walter |
W |
M |
8 |
Son |
/ |
|
|
NC |
NC |
NC |
------ |
Alonzo |
W |
M |
6 |
Son |
/ |
|
|
NC |
NC |
NC |
------ |
John |
W |
M |
3 |
Son |
/ |
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|
NC |
NC |
NC |
------ |
Martha |
W |
F |
1 |
Daughter |
/ |
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NC |
NC |
NC |
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Willie helped his parent on the family farm and attended Clayton
High School. He left home to attend Oak Ridge Military Academy,
a college-preparatory military school in northwestern Guilford
County, North Carolina. Later, unsuccessful in his efforts to
gain admission to the University of North Carolina and the
United States Military Academy, Willie enrolled in the Virginia
Agricultural and Mechanical School in Blacksburg, Virginia,
where he studied history and earned his bachelor's degree in
1895. |
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After his graduation from Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical
School, Willie chose to remain in Blacksburg while teaching
history and attending graduate school. He received his master's
degree in 1897 and soon after that sailed to Germany where he
entered the University of Leipzig. From June 1897 to November
1899, he remained in Europe working toward his doctorate and
devoting his vacations to travel. Willie, now William,
earned a Ph.D. in history in 1900 and soon returned to the US. |
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William Edward Dodd (no longer "Willie") applied for a US
Passport on 10 Jun 1897 for the purpose of going to Germany to
study for two years. The application shows that he was born on
21 Oct 1869 in Garner, Wake Co, NC, but his Death Certificate
shows that he was born in Clayton, NC. The passport application
also describes his physical appearance as follows: Age (27),
Stature (5 feet 9 inches), Forehead (Medium), Eyes (Blue), Nose
(Aquiline or Hook Nose), Mouth (Large), Chin (Medium),
Hair (Light), Complexion (Fair) and Face (????). |
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1897 USA Passport
Application |
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After William's return from Germany, he moved back in with his
parents, John and Eveline Dodd. The 1900 Census, which was taken
on 06 Jun 1900, shows William living with his parents in the
Little River Township of Wake County, NC. He is listed as a
"Boarder" on the census and his occupation is listed as
"Teacher". He is 30 years old. |
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1900 Wake County, NC, Census |
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|
Name |
Relation |
Personal Description |
Birth |
Occupation |
Last |
First |
Race |
Sex |
Birth
Date |
Age |
S
Md
Wd |
Years
Md |
Children |
Self |
Father |
Mother |
Month |
Year |
Born |
Living |
Dodd |
John |
Head |
W |
M |
Nov |
1847 |
52 |
M |
31 |
|
|
NC |
NC |
NC |
Farmer |
------ |
Eveline |
Wife |
W |
F |
Mar |
1849 |
51 |
M |
31 |
9 |
7 |
NC |
NC |
NC |
|
------ |
David E. |
Son |
W |
M |
Feb |
1884 |
16 |
S |
|
|
|
NC |
NC |
NC |
At School |
------ |
Anna R. |
Daughter |
W |
F |
Feb |
1886 |
14 |
S |
|
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|
NC |
NC |
NC |
At School |
Jarvis |
William |
Laborer |
B |
M |
|
1880 |
20 |
S |
|
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|
NC |
NC |
NC |
Farm Laborer |
Watkins |
William |
Laborer |
B |
M |
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1887 |
15 |
S |
|
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|
NC |
NC |
NC |
At School |
Dodd |
Walton |
Boarder |
W |
M |
Nov |
1871 |
25 |
S |
|
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|
NC |
NC |
NC |
Minister |
Dodd |
William E. |
Boarder |
W |
M |
Oct |
1869 |
30 |
S |
|
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|
NC |
NC |
NC |
Teacher |
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William spent most of the year after his return from Germany in
a futile search for a teaching position - while working in the
Library of Congress on his biography of Nathaniel Macon. Not
until the autumn of 1900 did he secure an appointment as
professor of history at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA.
Here, in spite of a heavy teaching load and inadequate library
facilities, he kept up his interest in research. |
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William married Martha "Mattie" Ida Johns on Christmas Eve, 24
Dec 1901, at her home in Auburn, Wake County, NC. Mattie was
born 10 Mar 1876 in Wake County, NC, to Thomas Jefferson Johns
and Martha Ida Eccles Dodd, also of Wake County, NC. |
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1901 Marriage License for
William Edward Dodd and Martha Ida "Mattie" Johns |
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In 1903, William gained public recognition with the now
completed biography, Life of Nathaniel Macon.
Other publications, such as Jefferson Davis and
Statesmen Of The Old South, gained him national
recognition as an expert on the history of the Old South. |
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In time, William and Mattie started a family. William Edward
Dodd and Martha "Mattie" Ida Johns Dodd had two children -
William Edward Dodd, Jr. and Martha Eccles Dodd. |
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Children of William Edward Dodd, Sr. and Martha Ida
Johns |
Name |
Birth |
Death |
Spouse |
William Edward Dodd, Jr. |
08 Aug 1905
Hanover Co, VA |
18 Oct 1952
San Francisco, CA |
1) Audrey Ruth
Koolish
2) Katherine Hubbard |
Martha Eccles Dodd |
08 Oct 1908
Hanover Co, VA |
10 Aug 1990
Prague, Czech Republic |
1) George Barrett
Roberts
2) Alfred Kaufman Stern |
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(Left to Right) William Edward Dodd, Jr.,
Martha Eccles Dodd and their mother Martha "Mattie" Ida Johns
Dodd |
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William's success in teaching and the publication of scholarly
work soon attracted attention. In 1908, he was offered a
professorship at the University of Chicago. There he spent the
remainder of his academic life. He had been expected to offer
courses in both western and southern history, but his interests
soon pushed the West aside and centered his attention almost
exclusively on the South. Quickly, he began gathering materials
in that field for the university library and introducing
seminars for graduate study. Slight of build and always giving
the impression of frail health, he nevertheless proved himself
an unusually effective lecturer. His classes were always
crowded, but he had the rare ability to keep them personal and
intimate. As a director of research he was particularly
successful. Students found him stimulating and suggestive. Some
fifty doctoral candidates wrote their dissertations under his
direction. |
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William had a 25-year career as Professor of American History at
the University of Chicago. |
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The 1910 Census shows William and Martha/Mattie living in
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. He was 40 years old and she was
34. Son William Edgar Dodd, Jr. (age 4) and daughter Martha
Eccles Dodd (age 1) were also listed on this 1910 Census. The
census also show that the family had a "cook", Nora Carr (age
23) who had been born in Ireland. |
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1910 Chicago, Cook County,
IL, Census |
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|
Name |
Relation |
Personal Description |
Birth |
Occupation |
Last |
First |
Sex |
Race |
Age |
S/M |
Years
Married |
Children |
Self |
Father |
Mother |
Occ. |
Trade |
Born |
Living |
Dodd |
William E. |
Head |
M |
W |
40 |
M |
5 |
|
|
NC |
NC |
NC |
Teacher |
University |
------ |
Martha J. |
Wife |
F |
W |
34 |
M |
5 |
2 |
2 |
NC |
NC |
NC |
None |
|
------ |
William E. |
Son |
M |
W |
4 |
S |
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|
VA |
NC |
NC |
None |
|
------ |
Martha E. |
Daughter |
F |
W |
1 |
S |
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|
VA |
NC |
NC |
None |
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Carr |
Nora |
Servant |
F |
W |
23 |
S |
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Ireland |
Ireland |
Ireland |
Cook |
Private Family |
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The 1920 Census shows the Dodd family still living in Chicago,
Cook County, IL. William Sr. was 50 and wife Martha/Mattie was
43. William Jr. was 14 and daughter Martha was 11. The family
also had a lodger living with them - Ruth Closson, who was
working as an Assistant Chief Operator at the local Telegraph
company. |
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1920 Chicago, Cook County,
IL, Census |
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Name |
Relation |
Home |
Personal Description |
Education |
Birth |
Occupation |
Last |
First |
O/R |
F/M |
Sex |
Race |
Age |
S/M |
Attend
School
in 1919 |
Able
to
Read |
Able
to
Write |
Self |
Father |
Mother |
Occ. |
Trade |
Dodd |
Wm. E. |
Head |
O |
F |
M |
W |
50 |
M |
|
Yes |
Yes |
NC |
NC |
NC |
Professor |
University |
------ |
Martha J. |
Wife |
|
|
F |
W |
43 |
M |
|
Yes |
Yes |
NC |
NC |
NC |
None |
|
------ |
Wm. E. |
Son |
|
|
M |
W |
14 |
S |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
VA |
NC |
NC |
None |
|
------ |
Martha E. |
Daughter |
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|
F |
W |
11 |
S |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
VA |
NC |
NC |
None |
|
Closson |
Ruth |
Lodger |
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|
F |
W |
30 |
S |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Indiana |
Michigan |
Indiana |
Asst. Chief Operator |
Telegraph Op. |
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An autographed copy of his Jefferson
Davis secured William an invitation to dinner at
the White House with Theodore Roosevelt. |
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A zealous Democrat, William campaigned for and wrote
speeches for presidential candidate Woodrow Wilson in 1912. He
became a friend of President Wilson, visited him in the White
House frequently, and authored a biography of him, Woodrow
Wilson and his Work, that appeared in 1920. William's
writings frequently showed his progressive political positions.
In the 1920s, following Wilson's death, William lectured on
Wilson's administration and its accomplishments, revised the
biography he had written, and co-edited the six-volumes of
The Public Papers of Woodrow Wilson (6 vol.,
1925-27). He wrote in defense of Wilson for both scholarly
journals and the popular press. Through these efforts, he
developed connections to a number of figures in the Democratic
Party. |
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Some of the other works by William E. Dodd were:
The Cotton Kingdom: A Chronicle of the Old
South (also called Chronicles of America,
1919); Statesmen of the Old South
(1911); Lincoln or Lee: Comparison
and Contrast of the Two Greatest Leaders in the War between the
States (1928); and
The Old South: Struggles for Democracy
(1937). |
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The significance of much of William Dodd's work lies in its
pioneer character. He was among the first to treat the South's
past in scholarly, objective fashion. For a time he was the only
professor in the country whose teaching efforts were given
entirely to the southern field, and he made the University of
Chicago the center for such graduate study. Yet in spite of his
sectional emphasis his writings impressed contemporaries as
being fair and balanced. He could admire Robert E. Lee without
being blind to the virtues of Abraham Lincoln. He could see the
faults in the South's past without losing sight of the virtues.
His aim was to present the South as the documents revealed it
and as a region whose history was essential to an understanding
of national history. |
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William Dodd continued his writing in Chicago with an increasing
amount of his time used for lecturing. |
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The following Passenger List for the S.S. Aquitania, shows
William E. Dodd departing from Southampton, England, on 24 Nov
1928, and arriving at the Port of New York on 01 Dec 1928. He
was 59 years old. The Passenger List also shows that he was born
in Clayton, NC, on 21 Oct 1869. His U.S. address is listed as
the University of Chicago, Illinois. |
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1928 Passenger List for S.S.
Aquitania sailing from Southampton, England, to New York |
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The 1930 Census shows the Dodd family living in Chicago, Cook
County, Illinois. William Sr's age was 60, Martha/Mattie was 54
and daughter Martha Eccles was 21. The census shows that the
Dodd family own their home and that the value of their home is
$10,00. William's occupation is listed as a "Professor" at
"University". The family had a 29-year-old female lodger by the
name of Mildred Wilkinson. Mildred was a teacher at a parochial
school. |
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1930 Chicago, Cook County,
IL, Census |
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|
Name |
Relation |
Home |
Personal Description |
Education |
Birth |
Occupation |
Last |
First |
O/R |
Value |
Sex |
Race |
Age |
S/M |
Age
First
Md. |
Attend
Sch/College
1929 |
Able
Read &
Write |
Self |
Father |
Mother |
Occ. |
Trade |
Dodd |
William |
Head |
O |
10,000 |
M |
W |
60 |
M |
31 |
No |
Yes |
NC |
NC |
NC |
Professor |
University |
------ |
Martha J. |
Wife |
|
|
F |
W |
54 |
M |
25 |
No |
Yes |
NC |
NC |
NC |
None |
|
------ |
Martha |
Daughter |
|
|
F |
W |
21 |
S |
|
Yes |
Yes |
VA |
NC |
NC |
None |
|
Wilkinson |
Mildred |
Lodger |
|
|
F |
W |
29 |
S |
|
Yes |
Yes |
IL |
OH |
IL |
Teacher |
Parochial
School |
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*Now chairman of the history department, Dodd had been a
professor at the university since 1909, recognized nationally
for his work on the American South and for a biography of
Woodrow Wilson. He was sixty-four years old, trim, five feet
eight inches tall, with blue-gray eyes and light brown hair.
Though his face at rest tended to impart severity, he in fact
had a sense of humor that was lively, dry, and easily ignited. |
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**As a supporter of Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and an advisor to the
Wilson administration in planning the post-World War I peace
conference, Dodd became involved in the highest levels of
national and international policy. It was Dodd's contacts with
Wilson's inner circle that brought him to the attention of
Franklin D. Roosevelt. |
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Franklin D. Roosevelt became the 32nd President of the United
States on 04 Mar 1933. Roosevelt's
administration had difficulty filling the post of U.S.
Ambassador to Germany. The volatile political situation in
Germany presented diplomatic challenges, but most observers
expected German politics would stabilize before too long. The
ambassadorship, normally a patronage position rather than one
filled by a State Department professional, was offered to
several men, but they turned it down. |
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In 1932, William Dodd resigned from his teaching position to
take a position within the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration.
The following year President Roosevelt offered him the
ambassadorship to Germany, which he promptly accepted. |
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On 08 Jun 1933, President Roosevelt offered William Edward Dodd
the ambassadorship position, and on 10 Jun 1933, Roosevelt sent
the Senate his nomination.. William was confirmed the same day.
Before his departure to Germany, William's old friend, Carl
Sandburg, told him he needed "to find out what this man Hitler
is made of, what makes his brain go round, what his blood and
bones are made of" and still "be brave and truthful, keep your
poetry and integrity." William had been instructed by the State
Department to maintain cordial diplomatic relations with Germany
and to do his best to ensure that the German government
did not default on its debts to American lenders.
"Unofficially", President Roosevelt asked him to do what
he could to protest the Nazi treatment of Jews in Germany. |
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The Dodd Family Moves to Germany |
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William, along with his wife Mattie, and two children William
Jr. and Martha, left for Germany on 05 Jul 1933. At his
departure he said, "The realities of the American past as well
as the dilemma of the present reconcile me to the adventure I am
about to undertake. Germany can hardly fail to realize the
importance of friendly cooperation with the 120,000,000 people
of the United States, and the United States can hardly fail to
realize the value of social and economic cooperation with the
land of Luther, Stein and Bismarck. Though difficulties lie
ahead, one can hardly think that an honest, frank mission to
Berlin can fail of good result." |
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(Left to Right) Martha Eccles Dodd,
William Edward Dodd Jr., William Edward Dodd Sr., and Martha
"Mattie" Ida Johns Dodd |
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Many in the State Department had reservations about Dodd's
suitability for the job. He was neither a political figure of
the sort normally honored with such a prestigious appointment,
nor a member of the social elite that formed the higher ranks of
the Foreign Service. In Berlin some of his subordinates were
embarrassed by his insistence on living modestly, walking
unaccompanied in the street, and leaving formal receptions so
early as to appear rude. Dodd considered his insistence on
living on his $17,500 annual salary a point of pride and
criticized the posh lifestyle of other embassy officials. |
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Andre Francois-Poncet (French
Ambassador), William E. Dodd (U.S. Ambassador) & Mattie, Eric
Phipps (British Ambassador) |
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Some in the Democratic Party advised him that he should do what
he could "to ameliorate Jewish sufferings," but cautioned, "the
Jews should not be allowed to dominate economic or intellectual
life in Berlin as they have done for a long time." Based on this
view of the "proper" role of Jews in society, William Dodd
advised Hitler in March 1934 that Jewish influence should be
restrained in Germany as it was in the United States. William
wrote in his diary, "I explained to him [Hitler] "that where a
question of over-activity of Jews in university or official life
made trouble, we had managed to redistribute the offices in such
a way as to not give great offense." Hitler ignored Dodd's
advice and responded that "if they [the Jews] continue their
activity, we shall make a complete end of them in this country." |
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(Left) Ambassador William Dodd is standing
front-center in front of the US and Nazi flags;
(Right) Ambassador William Dodd is sitting in the balcony
top-left, Adolf Hitler is sitting in the center |
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(Center) New Year reception by Adolf Hitler
at the Presidential Palace in Berlin;
Adolf Hitler in conversation with diplomats, from left, Andre
Francois-Poncet (France), William Edward Dodd (USA), Sir Eric
Phipps (Great Britain), Mehmet Hamdi (Turkey) and Jakob Suritz
(USSR) |
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(Below) Franz Von Papen with William E.
Dodd |
Franz Von Papen was a German nobleman and politician. He served
as Chancellor of Germany in 1932 and as Vice-Chancellor under
Adolf Hitler from 1933-34. He belonged to the group of close
advisers to President Paul Von Hindenburg in the late Weimar
Republic (a semi-presidential representative democracy, which
emerged in the aftermath of the German Revolution of 1918–19).
It was largely Von Papen, believing that Hitler could be
controlled once he was in the government, who persuaded
Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor in a cabinet not
under Nazi Party domination. However, Von Papen and his allies
were quickly marginalized by Hitler and he left the government
after Night of the Ling Knives, during which some of his
confidants were killed by Nazis. |
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The following passenger list from the S.S. Manhattan, shows Dr.
Dodd - sailing from Hamburg, Germany, on 14 Mar 1934, and
arriving at the Port of New York, on 23 Mar 1934. |
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1934 Passenger List for S.S.
Manhattan sailing from Hamburg, Germany, to New York |
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Early in his tenure as ambassador, Dodd decided to avoid
attending the annual Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg rather than
appear to endorse Hitler's regime. In 1933, the State Department
left the decision to him. As the Nazi Party became
indistinguishable from the government, however, the State
Department preferred that Dodd attend and avoid giving offense
to the German government. State Department pressure increased
each year until Dodd determined to avoid attending in 1937 by
arranging a visit to the United States at the time of the rally. |
|
Ambassador William E. Dodd sitting at his
desk in the US Embassy in Germany |
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On October 12, 1933 Dodd gave a speech to the American Chamber
of Commerce in Berlin, with Joseph Goebbels (Nazi Propaganda
Minister) and one of Hitler's closest associates) and Alfred
Rosenberg (Reich Minister of Occupied Eastern Territories)
in attendance, and used an elaborate analogy based on Roman
history to criticize the Nazis as "half-educated statesmen" who
adopted the "arbitrary modes" of an ancient tyrant. His views
grew more critical and pessimistic in June – July 1934, when the
Nazis killed prominent political opponents including many
dissenters within the Nazi movement. |
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Joseph Goebbels and William Dodd |
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Germany's Third Reich hosted a reception of
the "Foreign Policy Office" at the Hotel Adlon, Berlin, at which
Alfred Rosenberg
(Reich Minister of Occupied Eastern Territories)
made a speech about "Europe's cultural fight against
international Bolshevism/Communism". |
|
(Left to Right) Undersecretary Of State
Otto Meissner, U.S. Ambassador William E. Dodd,
Nazi leader Alfred Rosenberg and British Ambassador Sir Eric
Phipps |
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(Left) Martha "Mattie" Ida Johns Dodd
and Ambassador William Edward Dodd, Sr., 1934; (Right)
Ambassador Dodd |
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William and Mattie Dodd with a group of
German children at Christmas |
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(Left) Martha/Mattie, William and daughter
(Right) Joachim von Ribbentrop, 1936, with Ambassador William &
Martha/Maddie Dodd |
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In May 1935 William reported to his State Department superiors
that Hitler intended "to annex part of Czechoslovakia, and all
of Austria." A few months later he predicted a German—Italian
alliance, but was largely ignored. Feeling ineffectual, Dodd
offered to resign, but Roosevelt allowed him only a recuperative
visit to the U.S. The President wrote to U.S. Ambassador to
Italy in September 1935 that he and Dodd had been "far more
accurate in your pessimism for the past two years than any of my
other friends in Europe." |
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(Left) William Jr., Mattie, Martha and
William Sr.; (Right) William Jr., Martha, William Sr. and Mattie |
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(Left) Mattie, William Sr. and Martha;
(Right) William Jr., Mattie and William Sr. |
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The three major camps in the Nazi concentration camp system in
Germany were Dachau, Sachsenhausen and Buchenwald. Dachau was
the first Nazi concentration camp in the state of Bavaria.
Located just outside Munich, it was opened on March 22, 1933,
less than two months after Hitler was appointed chancellor of
Germany. In 1935, the Jews were being persecuted relentlessly
and pressured to leave Germany, but no Jews were being sent to
any of the concentration camps. The only Jews sent to the camps
at this time were political dissidents, trade union organizers,
asocials, vagrants, criminals, race mixers and homosexuals (who
had broken the law). For a while, Hitler took care to give his
dictatorship the appearance of legality. Germany even hosted the
1936 Olympics in Berlin. |
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Adolf Hitler with German Nazi troops |
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Dodd considered resigning several times from his position as
Ambassador to Germany, beginning as early as July 1934. His
health declined seriously by 1936 and his clear hostility toward
the German government increased his personal sense of defeat. |
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Letter written by Ambassador William Edward
Dodd, April 24, 1937 |
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April 24, 1937
Dear Mr. McCordock,
At the moment I have no photograph suitable. When I have
some, expected in a week or so, I shall send you one.
You may pick a quotation from my Lincoln or
Lee book in case you wish to use one. I have no copy
here. The book was published a few years ago by the
Century Company, New York.
I am glad you have several history co-women. No
profession can be worth more than ours the next two
decades, if its members know the truth and track it. Our
colleges and schools are about the freest in the world
for such teaching - only we have none too many history
teachers and our freedom is not free enough.
Yours sincerely,
William E. Dodd |
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In Berlin Dodd lived simply and worked hard. Deeply disapproving
of the Hitler regime, he "presented unflinchingly the American
democratic point of view" in rather undiplomatic fashion. He got
on neither with the German government nor with the
representatives of other nations whom he thought undemocratic.
His efforts to live within his salary and to keep down expenses
in the embassy did not please his staff; the failure of his
hopes to exert a moderating influence on Nazi policies depressed
him and he was increasingly at odds with the U.S. State
Department. |
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(Left & Right) Ambassador William E. Dodd;
(Center) Ambassador William & Martha Dodd |
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In
September 1937, his dispute with the State Department over the
U.S. diplomatic presence at the Nuremberg rallies became public.
The German government told the State Department that Dodd could
no longer function in Berlin.
Dodd’s tenure as Ambassador to Germany lasted four years, a term
that coincided with the rise of the Nazi Party. He was convinced
from first hand observation that the Nazis were an increasing
threat. In 1937, having run afoul of the State Department for
writing materials negative to the Nazi-controlled government,
Dodd was recalled the following year. Dodd left Berlin
without notifying the press. The New York Times reported
that upon arriving in New York on January 6, 1938, he said that
he "doubted if an American envoy who held his ideals of
democracy could represent his country successfully among the
Germans at the present time.
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The following passenger list for the S.S. Washington, show Dr. &
Mrs. William Dodd (William and Martha) returning to the US,
departing Hamburg, Germany, on 29 Dec 1937, and arriving at the
Port of New York, on 06 Jan 1938. |
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1937/38 Passenger List for S.S.
Manhattan sailing from Hamburg, Germany, to New York |
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On 28 May 1938, less than five months after her return to the US
from Germany, Martha "Mattie" Ida Johns Dodd died as a result of
a "heart lesion" (a stress or trauma
delivered to the interior walls of the heart). William and
Mattie were living in Mt. Gilead, Loudoun County, VA, at the
time. She was 62 years old at the time of her death. Her
parent's names listed on the Death Certificate are Thomas and
Martha Johns, of Auburn, NC. |
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Martha "Mattie" Ida Johns
Dodd's Death Certificate |
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After William Dodd's return to the US in early 1938, Nazi
Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels denounced Dodd by name in a
speech at the Nuremberg Congress the following September (1938)
for Dodd's "laments on the decay of German culture". |
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After leaving his State Department post, William Dodd campaigned
to warn against the dangers posed by Germany, Italy, and Japan,
and detailed racial and religious persecution in Germany. He
predicted German aggression against Austria, Czechoslovakia, and
Poland. Dodd, who was in failing health, traveled on a speaking
tour of Canada and the US, establishing his reputation as a
statesman who opposed the Nazis. |
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William Sr. continued
to live on his farm in Loudon County, Virginia, where he died of
pneumonia on 09 Feb 1940. His Death Certificate listed his cause
of death as "Aspiration Pneumonia". Aspiration Pneumonia
is a lung infection that develops
after you aspirate (inhale) food,
liquid, or vomit into your lungs. He was 70 years old at the
time of his death. The Death Certificate list his occupation as
"Farmer". |
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Ambassador/Dr. William
Edward Dodd's Death Certificate |
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William Dodd, Sr. was buried on his farm initially. In 1946, his
daughter Martha, had him and her mother reinterred at Rock Creek
Cemetery in Washington D. C. |
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The Obituary of William E. Dodd (Sr.) |
The Smithfield Herald,
Smithfield, NC
13 Feb 1940 |
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AMBASSADOR DODD, DISTINGUISHED SON
OF JOHNSTON COUNTY, DIES |
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Noted Historian
and Former Ambassador to Germany Succumbs to Pneumonia
at Country Estate in Virginia. DR. WILLIAM E. DODD, a
Johnston County farm boy, who became one of the nation's
leading authorities on American history and then United
States Ambassador to Germany, died Friday afternoon at
his Virginia estate, Stoneleigh Farm, near Round Hill.
Bitter opposition to the Nazi regime led Dr. Dodd to
resign his post in Berlin two years ago and return to
this country where he launched a speaking tour
criticizing the Hitler government. |
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He (Dr. Dodd)
suffered a partial physical breakdown and in recent
months had been spending most of his time at his estate.
Seventy years old, Dr. Dodd was further weakened by an
attack of pneumonia, which was the immediate cause of
his death. He was placed in an oxygen tent Thursday but
death came at 3:10 P.M. the following day. |
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The funeral rites
were conducted Sunday at noon at the home and burial
followed in the family burying ground on the estate. Dr.
Dodd is survived by a son William E. Dodd, Jr. of
Stoneleigh Farm and a daughter, Mrs. Alfred Stern of New
York. Surviving also are two brothers, Rev. E. D. Dodd
of Norlina, former Methodist pastor on the Four Oaks
charge and Rev. W. H. Dodd of Mocksville, and a sister,
Mrs. Annie Dodd Griffin, who also lives in North
Carolina. |
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Dr. Dodd was born
near Clayton October 21, 1869, a son of John D. and
Evelyn Creech Dodd. He attended the schools of Johnston
and Wake Counties and Oak Ridge Institute and was
graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1895
with the Bachelor of Science degree. Two years late he
received his Master's degree from V.P.I. Leaving V.P.I.,
he attended the University of Leipzig in Germany for
three years and won his Ph.D. degree in 1900. |
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For eight years
Dr. Dodd was a member of the history faculty of
Randolph-Macon College and in 1908 he joined the history
department of Chicago University where he served a
quarter of century, resigning in 1933 when President
Roosevelt appointed him to become Ambassador to Germany. |
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Cordially received
by President Paul Von Hindenburg as one having "warm
appreciation of the cultural bonds between the two
countries," Dr. Dodd left the diplomatic post in January
1938, a bitter foe of Nazism, with no word of farewell
from Berlin officialdom. He quit the country more
unceremoniously than any other American envoy. |
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He had, meanwhile,
lost face in Washington by intervening in the 1937
Congressional fight against reorganization of the Unites
States Supreme Court. Writing from Berlin in April to
several Senators, he warned them of a "dictatorship plot
in the United States, backed by an American
billionaire," refused to reveal the source of his
information or to name the "billionaire," and brought
down on himself the denunciation of the late Senator
William E. Borah. |
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The following
September, while Dr. Dodd was on vacation in America, he
protested to the State Department over the acceptance by
his charge d'affaires, Prentiss Gilbert, of an
invitation to attend the Nazi Party congress at
Nurnberg. |
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Cordell Hull,
Secretary of State, overruled Dr. Dodd's objections. The
latter soon after resuming his post in November, sent in
his resignation. |
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Relieved of his
diplomatic status, Dr. Dodd bitterly assailed the
government to which he had been accredited. He wrote and
spoke to audience in Canada and the East attacking the
Nazi regime. |
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Before going to
Germany in 1933, Dr. Dodd lived a quiet life as a
historian. On December 24, 1900, he had married Martha
Johns of Auburn in Wake County, (NC). |
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He wrote a number
of books which stamped him as an authority on American
history and particularly history of the South. Among his
best known work are "Life of Jefferson Davis,"
"Statesman of the Old South," and "Woodrow Wilson and
His Work." With Ray Stannard Baker, he edited "Public
Paper of Woodrow Wilson." |
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During the last
twenty years of his life, Dr. Dodd's visits to his old
home in North Carolina were infrequent. Recently his
92-year old father, John Dodd of Fuquay Springs, said of
his distinguished son's visits home: "Will never stays
long. He's like a humming bird, in and out like a flash.
Will always stays busy. I guess he has done more than
any other man alive." |
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Dr. Dodd's passing
brought many messages of sympathy to the family from
high officials of the Federal government, including
Secretary of State Hull. |
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In April 1946, during the Nuremberg Trials, William Dodd's
diaries were used as evidence against Hjalmar Schacht, a liberal
economist and banker, and a Nazi government official until the
end of 1937. Schacht praised Dodd's character but suggested his
views in the 1930s were tainted by his less than fluent German.
He testified that Dodd was his friend who invited him to
emigrate to the United States. Schacht's attorney described Dodd
as "one of the few accredited diplomats in Berlin who very
obviously had no sympathy of any sort for the (Nazi) regime in
power". |
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Children of Ambassador/Dr.
William Edward Dodd, Sr. and Martha "Mattie" Ida Johns Dodd |
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William "Bill" Edward
Dodd, Jr. |
Born: 08 Aug 1905, Ashland, Hanover Co, VA |
Died: 18 Oct 1952, San Francisco, CA |
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William Edward Dodd, Jr. was born in Ashland, Virginia,
to Ambassador/Dr. William Edward Dodd and Martha
"Mattie" Ida Johns Dodd on 08 Aug 1905. William Jr. received
his bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago where his
father worked as a Professor of History, and his master’s degree
from Harvard University. He taught history in Washington D.C.,
Rutgers, The College of William and Mary, and the University of
California. William Jr. and his sister Martha Eccles had a close
relationship with Daniel C. Roper, President Roosevelt’s first
Secretary of Commerce. Some sources say that it was through
William Jr. and Roper, that William Sr. passed on to President
Roosevelt his interest in receiving an ambassadorship. |
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(Left) William Edward Dodd, Jr. |
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After his return from Berlin, William Jr. initially returned to
teaching but he was drawn to political activism. In 1936, he
testified in London in favor of protecting Spain’s republican
government against attacks from fascist-backed rebels, and in
1937 raised money on behalf of homeless Spanish children of the
Basque region. He served as chairman of the Japanese Boycott
Committee, the American League Against War and Fascism, and the
American Committee for Anti-Nazi Literature. |
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In 1938, at age 32, William Jr. sought the Democratic nomination
for Virginia’s 8th congressional district, which was directly
across the Potomac River from Washington. The seat was held by
four-term incumbent Howard W. Smith, a conservative Democrat on
the United States House Committee on Rules who used his position
to obstruct parts of the Roosevelt Administration’s New Deal
agenda. Dodd ran as an ardent supporter of the New Deal, with
the support of Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes and others
in the President’s circle. William Jr., however, was not known
to many voters, had little campaign organization in the
district, and very little political experience. Like several
other New Dealers seeking to unseat “disloyal” incumbent
Democrats in 1938 primaries, William Dodd, Jr. lost badly. Smith
outpolled Dodd by a 3 to 1 margin. He was later appointed to a
position in the Works Progress Administration. |
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To find out more about William "Bill"
Edward Dodd, Jr. and his life
CLICK HERE. |
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Martha Eccles Dodd |
Born: 08 Oct 1908, Ashland, Hanover Co, VA |
Died: 10 Aug 1990, Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC |
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Martha Eccles Dodd was the second child born
to William Edward Dodd, Sr., and Martha "Mattie" Ida Johns.
Martha was born 08 Oct 1908 in Ashland, Hanover County, VA.
Martha grew up in Chicago where her father was a Professor of
History at the University of Chicago. |
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Martha Dodd studied at the University of Chicago before spending
time in Paris. She served briefly as assistant literary editor
of The Chicago Tribune. |
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Martha and her brother, William E. Dodd Jr., joined their
parents in Berlin when her father, Dr. William Edward Dodd, Sr.,
was appointed as the first US Ambassador to Germany. At first
she was impressed with Adolf Hitler and "became temporarily an
ardent defender of everything going on" and admired the "glowing
and inspiring faith in Hitler, the good that was being done for
the unemployed." |
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Martha Dodd married Alfred Stern on 04 Sep 1938, in Norfolk,
Hamilton, Virginia. |
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William Dodd, Sr., Martha and Alfred
Stern |
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Martha lived a very "colorful" life. She and
Alfred eventually became Soviet Communist Agents. |
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To find out more about Martha Eccles Dodd
Stern, her life before going to Germany,
how she became
interested in Socialism while living in Germany,
and about the Stern's lives once they returned to the US,
CLICK HERE. |
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SOURCES |
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North Carolina Highway
Historical Marker Program - William E. Dodd 1869-1940 -
Click Here |
Ambassador William E. Dodd -
Wikipedia |
*William Dodd - The U.S.
Ambassador in Hitler's Germany -
Click Here |
**The University of Chicago
Faculty - William E. Dodd -
Click Here |
Hall of Holography - World War I -
Click Here |
Biography in Contest:
William E. Dodd -
Click Here |
William Edward Dodd, Sr. -
Obituary - RootsWeb -
Click Here |
Find-A-Grave -
Click Here |
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Martha Eccles Dodd -
Wikipedia |
Martha Eccles Dodd - Spy -
Click Here |
Spies & Spymasters - Martha Dodd -
Click
Here |
Martha Dodd and Boris Binogradov -
Click Here |
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