Eleanor Lansing Dulles

Nationality

U.S.A.

Date of Birth

1895

Date of Death

1996

Political
Preference

Republican (?)

Eleanor Lansing Dulles was born in Watertown, New York, daughter of Allen Macy Dulles and Edith Foster. She studied at Bryn Mawr College, before working for relief organizations in France during World War I. When she returned home, she continued studying at Radcliff College and Harvard University and earned a doctorate in economics in 1926. Her Brother John Foster Dulles, her grandfather John W. Foster and her uncle Robert Lansing served all three as Secretary of State. Elaenor Dulles was an author, professor, and civil servant. Her background in economics and her familiarity with European affairs enabled her to fill a number of important State Department positions.

As a student and college professor she made frequent trips to Europe to study and conduct research on European financial matters. 

During her first years at the State Department (from 1933 onwards), Dulles was involved in post-war economic planning. She helped determine the U.S. position on international financial cooperation and participated in the Bretten Woods Conference of 1944. After the end of World War II, in the spring of 1945 she went to Europe where she became involved in the reconstruction of the Austrian economy as the U.S. Financial Attaché in Austria. Her letters from these days show how gloomy the outlook on economic recovery in 1946 and 1947 was in Europe. From 1948 onwards, Dulles was also involved in the work of the Economic Cooperation Administration (EC), together with Mr. Marget, as senior advisor of Austrian economic affairs.

In 1949, Dulles transferred to the German-Austrian Division at the State Department in Washington.