Bainbridge Colby
| Bainbridge Colby | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 43rd United States Secretary of State | |
|
In office March 23, 1920 – March 4, 1921 |
|
| President | Woodrow Wilson |
| Preceded by | Robert Lansing |
| Succeeded by | Charles Evans Hughes |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the New York County, 29th district |
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In office January 1, 1902 – December 31, 1902 |
|
| Preceded by | Hal Bell |
| Succeeded by | George B. Clark |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 22, 1869 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | April 11, 1950 (aged 80) Bemus Point, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican until 1912 then National Progressive Party |
| Alma mater |
Williams College Columbia Law School New York Law School |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer |
Bainbridge Colby (December 22, 1869 – April 11, 1950) was an American lawyer, a political progressive, a co-founder of the United States Progressive Party and Woodrow Wilson's last Secretary of State. Colby was a Republican until he helped co-found the National Progressive Party in 1912; he ran for multiple offices as a member of that party, but always lost.
Wilson's appointment of Colby was "bizarre" says historian John Milton Cooper, for Colby had no diplomatic experience or skills. Editorial responses from leading newspapers ranged "from puzzlement to outrage." Colby was chosen because he was totally loyal to Wilson; he left no notable achievements in the office.
Bainbridge Colby was born in St. Louis, Missouri on December 22, 1869. He graduated from Williams College (where he was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa), then attended Columbia Law School and New York Law School (1892). He was admitted to the New York bar, and served as a member of the New York State Assembly (New York Co., 29th D.) in 1902. He spoke at the Colby College commencement on June 19, 1933, at which time he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
Colby was married twice. His first wife was Nathalie Sedgwick, who became a novelist; they were married in 1895 and had three children (Katherine Sedgwick Colby, Nathalie Sedgwick Colby and Frances Bainbridge Colby). Colby decided to divorce his wife while he was in Paris in 1928. The divorce was finalized in Reno, Nevada later that year. The marriage apparently was very contentious and Colby felt the need to include in his divorce decree a monthly payment of $1,500.00 to stop Nathalie from "ridiculing him in her writings". Less than a year later, he married Anne Ahlstrand Ely, who was politically engaged in many of the same issues as Colby, such as women's suffrage. (As Secretary of State, Colby would issue the proclamation announcing that the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote, had been ratified as part of the U.S. Constitution.)
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