Dulles, Eleanor Lansing, 1895-1996

Eleanor Lansing Dulles (b. June 1, 1895-d. Oct. 31, 1996) was an educator, diplomat, and author. She worked for the U.S. State Department serving as an economic specialist whose efforts helped rebuild West Berlin after World War II, earning her the name "the Mother of Berlin." Dulles was part of a family that was highly involved in civil service. Under President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration, her brother John Foster Dulles was secretary of state, while her brother Allen W. Dulles was director of the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). Dulles' interest in helping those impacted by war began early in her life. During World War I she went to France to assist refugees. She returned to the United States for work at the American Tube and Stamping Company. In 1924, she began teaching at Simmons College in Boston, with stints at Bryn Mawr College and the University of Pennsylvania to follow. In 1936, she began work with the U.S. Government's Social Security Board, leaving that position to join the U.S. State Department in 1942. Her work as a diplomat included being an economic officer, financial attache in Austria, and special assistant in the Office of German Affairs. It was through her work with the German office that she helped revitalize the German economy after World War II, bringing its unemployment levels down significantly from thirty-three percent. She also worked to secure funds for West Berlin's Congress Hall, hospitals, and educational facilities. After her time at the State Department, she went on to hold positions such as professor at Georgetown University, visiting professor at Duke University, consultant for the U.S. Department of State, and organizer of the John Foster Dulles Centennial Program at Princeton University. She received the Grand Cross of Merit from the Federal Republic of Germany, Carl Schurz Plaque, an honorary professorship at the University of Berlin, and a Tribute of Appreciation from the U.S. State Department (1985).

From the description of Dulles, Eleanor Lansing, 1895-1996 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10580411

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