Huntington Wilson
Encyclopedia
Francis Mairs Huntington Wilson (1875-1946) was a United States
diplomat
and author who served as United States Assistant Secretary of State
from 1909 to 1913.
on December 15, 1875, the son of Benjamin Mairs Wilson and Frances (Huntington) Wilson. Wilson was educated at Yale University
, receiving an A.B. in 1897.
After college, Wilson joined the United States Consular and Diplomatic Service
, becoming a Second Secretary at the United States Legation in Tokyo
. He was promoted to First Secretary in 1900 and then to Chargé d’Affaires in 1901. He married Lucy Wortham James of Baltimore
in 1904. The couple would divorce in 1915.
Wilson returned to the United States in 1906, becoming Third Assistant Secretary of State in Washington, D.C.
and the Chairman of the Board of Examiners of the Consular and Diplomatic Service.
With the outbreak of the Young Turk Revolution
in 1908, President of the United States
Theodore Roosevelt
named Wilson Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Ottoman Empire
. He was also sent on a mission to Argentina
.
Returning to the U.S. again in 1909, Wilson became United States Assistant Secretary of State
, holding this office from March 5, 1909 until March 19, 1913. In this capacity, Wilson was responsible for drawing up and implementing a reorganization of the United States Department of State
.
Wilson retired from government service in 1913 and settled in Philadelphia. There, he wrote for the Public Ledger
and the Evening Bulletin
. He also began writing books at this time, with his published titles including Stultitia (1914), The Peril of Hifalutin (1918), Money and the Price Level (1932), and Memoirs of an Ex-Diplomat (1945). He worked briefly for the National City Bank in New York City
, before becoming president of a Waterbury, Connecticut
company that made signaling devices. He then returned to Philadelphia, serving as Director of the Philadelphia Commercial Museum from 1928 to 1932. Wilson married his second wife, Hope Butler of New York City, in 1925.
Wilson died in New Haven, Connecticut
on December 31, 1946.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and author who served as United States Assistant Secretary of State
United States Assistant Secretary of State
In modern times, Assistant Secretary of State is a title used for many executive positions in the United States State Department. A set of six Assistant Secretaries reporting to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs manage diplomatic missions within their designated geographic regions, plus one...
from 1909 to 1913.
Biography
Huntington Wilson was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
on December 15, 1875, the son of Benjamin Mairs Wilson and Frances (Huntington) Wilson. Wilson was educated at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, receiving an A.B. in 1897.
After college, Wilson joined the United States Consular and Diplomatic Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
, becoming a Second Secretary at the United States Legation in Tokyo
Embassy of the United States in Tokyo
The Embassy of the United States in Tokyo represents the United States to Japan. Along with consulates general in Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, and Naha, the embassy provides assistance to American citizens and issues visas to foreign nationals who wish to visit or immigrate to the United...
. He was promoted to First Secretary in 1900 and then to Chargé d’Affaires in 1901. He married Lucy Wortham James of Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
in 1904. The couple would divorce in 1915.
Wilson returned to the United States in 1906, becoming Third Assistant Secretary of State in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and the Chairman of the Board of Examiners of the Consular and Diplomatic Service.
With the outbreak of the Young Turk Revolution
Young Turk Revolution
The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 reversed the suspension of the Ottoman parliament by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, marking the onset of the Second Constitutional Era...
in 1908, President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
named Wilson Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. He was also sent on a mission to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Returning to the U.S. again in 1909, Wilson became United States Assistant Secretary of State
United States Assistant Secretary of State
In modern times, Assistant Secretary of State is a title used for many executive positions in the United States State Department. A set of six Assistant Secretaries reporting to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs manage diplomatic missions within their designated geographic regions, plus one...
, holding this office from March 5, 1909 until March 19, 1913. In this capacity, Wilson was responsible for drawing up and implementing a reorganization of the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
.
Wilson retired from government service in 1913 and settled in Philadelphia. There, he wrote for the Public Ledger
Public Ledger (Philadelphia)
The Public Ledger was a daily newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania published from March 25, 1836 to January 1942. Its motto was "Virtue Liberty and Independence". For a time, it was Philadelphia's most popular newspaper, but circulation declined in the mid-1930s.-Early history:Founded by William...
and the Evening Bulletin
Philadelphia Bulletin
For the 2004 resurrection of the Bulletin, see The Bulletin .The Philadelphia Bulletin was a daily evening newspaper published from 1847 to 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the largest circulation newspaper in Philadelphia for 76 years and was once the largest evening newspaper in the...
. He also began writing books at this time, with his published titles including Stultitia (1914), The Peril of Hifalutin (1918), Money and the Price Level (1932), and Memoirs of an Ex-Diplomat (1945). He worked briefly for the National City Bank in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, before becoming president of a Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
company that made signaling devices. He then returned to Philadelphia, serving as Director of the Philadelphia Commercial Museum from 1928 to 1932. Wilson married his second wife, Hope Butler of New York City, in 1925.
Wilson died in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
on December 31, 1946.
Works by Huntington Wilson
- Stultitia: A Nightmare and an Awakening - In Four Discussions (1914)
- The Peril of Hifalutin (1918)
- Money and the Price Level (1932)
- Memoirs of an Ex-Diplomat (1945)