George S. Messersmith
| George S. Messersmith | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| United States Ambassador to Argentina | |
|
In office April 12, 1946 – June 12, 1947 |
|
| President | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Spruille Braden |
| Succeeded by | James Bruce |
| United States Ambassador to Mexico | |
|
In office February 24, 1942 – May 15, 1946 |
|
| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Josephus Daniels |
| Succeeded by | Walter C. Thurston |
| United States Ambassador to Cuba | |
|
In office March 8, 1940 – February 8, 1942 |
|
| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | J. Butler Wright |
| Succeeded by | Spruille Braden |
| United States Assistant Secretary of State | |
|
In office July 9, 1937 – February 15, 1940 |
|
| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Sumner Welles |
| Succeeded by | Hugh R. Wilson |
| United States Ambassador to Austria | |
|
In office April 7, 1934 – July 11, 1937 |
|
| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | George Howard Earle III |
| Succeeded by | Grenville T. Emmet |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
George Strausser Messersmith October 3, 1883 Fleetwood, Pennsylvania |
| Died | January 29, 1960 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Lawyer, Diplomat |
George Strausser Messersmith (October 3, 1883 – January 29, 1960) was a United States ambassador to Austria, Cuba, Mexico and Argentina. Messersmith also served as head of the U.S. Consulate in Germany from 1930 to 1934, during the rise of the Nazi party.
He was best known in his day for his controversial decision to issue a visa to Albert Einstein to travel to the United States. He is also known today for his diplomatic handling of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, later Duke and Duchess of Windsor, in the era leading up to World War II.
Messersmith, a graduate of Keystone State Normal School, was a teacher, then school administrator, from 1900 until he entered the foreign service in 1914. That year, he left his position as vice president of the Delaware State Board of Education to become U.S. consul in Fort Erie, Ontario. After serving as a U.S. consul at Curacao (1916–1919), and Antwerp (1919–1925), he became U.S. Consul General for Belgium and Luxembourg in 1925. He served as U.S. consul general in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 1928 to 1930.
In 1930, Messersmith left his position in Argentina to accept the same position in Berlin. There, he became responsible for administering the annual German quota.
While he did not personally interview Albert Einstein, Messersmith cleared the way for the scientist to leave Germany. He called Einstein himself to tell him that his visa would be ready. He was viciously criticized by conservative groups and media for his action to issue a visa to Einstein. Messersmith received significant notoriety in late 1932 due to the incident.
...
Wikipedia