Dwight Morrow
Dwight Whitney Morrow | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Huntington, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | October 5, 1931 (aged 58) Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, diplomat, politician |
| Known for | United States Ambassador to Mexico; mediation of Cristero rebellion; U.S. Senator from New Jersey |
| Notable work | Morrow Mission diplomatic efforts |
Dwight Whitney Morrow (January 11, 1873 – October 5, 1931) was a prominent American figure known for his roles in business, diplomacy, and politics. He played a crucial part in enhancing U.S.–Mexico relations during his tenure as ambassador by facilitating resolution of the Cristero rebellion (1926–29) and mitigating tensions surrounding oil disputes. The diplomatic efforts known as the Morrow Mission represented a pivotal moment in the United States' gradual withdrawal from imperialistic policies. He was also the father of Anne Morrow and the father-in-law of famed aviator Charles A. Lindbergh.
Life
Born into a Scotch-Irish family, Morrow entered the world in Huntington, West Virginia before relocating to Allegheny, Pennsylvania in 1875. His father, James Elmore Morrow, served as principal at Marshall College (present-day Marshall University). After completing his undergraduate studies at Amherst College in 1895, Morrow pursued legal education at Columbia Law School and began his legal career at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City. In 1903, he married Elizabeth Reeve Cutter; together they had four children. During his ambassadorship, his daughter Anne became engaged to Charles Lindbergh.
In 1913, Morrow advanced to partnership at J.P. Morgan & Co., a leading investment bank supporting major enterprises such as General Motors and 3M. He held positions on various corporate boards throughout his career.
During World War I, J.P. Morgan & Co. provided financial backing to Britain and France for procurement of war supplies. Following America's entry into the conflict, Morrow led New Jersey's National War Savings Committee and served as an advisor to both the Allied Maritime Transport Council and the Military Board of Allied Supply. President Woodrow Wilson appointed him as chief civilian aide to General John J. Pershing in France.
In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge, an Amherst alumnus like Morrow, designated him to chair a commission reviewing U.S. aviation policy amid controversy over Colonel Billy Mitchell’s court-martial on charges of insubordination. The commission recommended forming an Air Corps within the Army, resulting in the establishment of the U.S. Army Air Corps in July 1926.
Ambassador to Mexico
From 1927 to 1930, Morrow served as United States Ambassador to Mexico, appointed by President Coolidge. His background as a J.P. Morgan partner initially sparked apprehension within Mexican media about a resurgence of Dollar Diplomacy. Nonetheless, the Coolidge administration aimed to redefine bilateral relations with Mexico—a mission that Morrow actively pursued. Early during his ambassadorship, he replaced the embassy's sign from "American Embassy" to "United States Embassy" to address regional sensitivities regarding the term "American."
Renowned for his diplomatic skill, Morrow combined widespread popularity with astute economic and financial advice offered to Mexican authorities. In 1927, he organized a goodwill tour across Mexico featuring humorist-actor Will Rogers and aviator Charles Lindbergh. It was during this time that his daughter, Anne Morrow, met and soon became engaged to Lindbergh. To pay tribute to Cuernavaca—where Morrow owned a vacation residence—he commissioned artist Diego Rivera to create murals at the Palacio de Cortés, portraying Mexican history from a post-revolutionary standpoint.
Morrow established routine breakfast meetings with President Plutarco Elías Calles (1924–1928) to deliberate on critical topics such as oil policy, irrigation projects, and religious conflicts, earning him the nickname "ham and eggs diplomat." Rogers accompanied these excursions and published favorable accounts that enhanced public opinion of Mexico in the United States.
Regarding disputes over Mexican oil involving domestic and foreign companies, Morrow played a role in averting nationalization of petroleum fields—a development that eventually took place ten years later in 1938.
His most significant accomplishment was mediating the violent confrontation between the Mexican government and the Catholic Church in Mexico during the Cristero rebellion. Concerned about regional stability and refugee influx into U.S. territory, Morrow collaborated closely with Father John J. Burke of the National Catholic Welfare Conference and secured backing from the Vatican to facilitate peace negotiations.
After President Álvaro Obregón was assassinated in 1928 and throughout the subsequent Maximato era when former president Calles wielded power behind interim president Emilio Portes Gil, Morrow and Burke renewed efforts toward reconciliation. Portes Gil permitted religious ceremonies under regulated legal conditions.
Morrow successfully brokered an accord on June 21, 1929—the arreglos—which allowed for worship services to resume with concessions including limited priest registration, religious instruction confined within church premises rather than schools, and citizens’ rights to petition for legal amendments. While anticlerical provisions of the Constitution of 1917 remained intact, enforcement was notably relaxed.
Later career
In 1930, Morrow secured election as a Republican to the United States Senate, filling the seat vacated by Walter Evans Edge's resignation, while simultaneously winning a full term commencing March 4, 1931. That same year, he gained membership in the American Philosophical Society. His Senate tenure lasted from December 3, 1930, until his passing in Englewood, New Jersey on October 5, 1931.
Death
Following a public address in New York City, Morrow experienced a stroke at his residence in Englewood and passed away the next day, October 5, 1931.
As a partner at J.P. Morgan and one of New Jersey's most affluent individuals, his death occurred within a month of an election. This timing enabled Republican Governor Morgan Foster Larson to appoint William Warren Barbour as his successor in the Senate.
Morrow was laid to rest at Brookside Cemetery, Englewood. His will, dated January 24, 1927, specified over $1 million in particular bequests—$200,000 each to Amherst College and Smith College, $100,000 to the Smithsonian Institution, along with additional gifts for family and friends. The entire estate was appraised at roughly $10 million (equivalent to $ million today), with $1 million paid in estate taxes to New Jersey contributing significantly to balancing the state’s budget. Furthermore, a $1 million trust fund had been created for Anne Morrow Lindbergh in 1929.
His personal archives are preserved at Amherst College’s Robert Frost Library. In 1934, Betty Morrow commissioned British diplomat Harold Nicolson to author his comprehensive biography. Nicolson interviewed family members, partners from J.P. Morgan, and former Mexican president Plutarco Elias Calles, culminating in the publication of Dwight Morrow in October 1935.
Legacy
Dwight Morrow High School, founded in 1932, was named to honor him. The school serves students from Englewood and Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
A World War II Liberty Ship also carries his name.
In popular culture
Actor Bruce Greenwood portrayed him in the 2012 film For Greater Glory, which is set during the Cristero War.
See also
- List of covers of Time magazine (1920s)
- List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49)
- List of people from Morelos, Mexico
Sources
- Nicolson, Harold (1975) Dwight Morrow. Ayer Publishing (original edition published 1935)
External links
- Dwight W. Morrow Papers at Amherst College
- Morrow-Lindbergh-McIlvaine Family Papers at Amherst College Archives & Special Collections