Lodge, Henry Cabot, 1850-1924

Henry Cabot Lodge (1850-1924) was born into a prominent Boston family in 1850. Through his mother’s family, the Cabots, Lodge traced his lineage back to the 17th century, with one great-grandfather a leading Federalist during the Revolutionary period. Growing up in both an intellectual and privileged household, "Cabot" took naturally to academic subjects, particularly history and literature. Beyond his early devotion to scholarly pursuits, Lodge also enjoyed numerous sports and the great outdoors; activities that would later help foster a friendship with Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919).

As was customary among upper-class New England families, Lodge attended Harvard College, graduating in 1871. After marrying Anna Davis (1850-1915), daughter of naval scientist and Naval Observatory superintendent Rear Admiral Charles H. Davis (1807-1877), Lodge returned to Harvard. By 1876, at only twenty-six years old, Lodge had earned both law and doctoral degrees; his Ph.D. in Political Science was the first ever issued to a Harvard student. Over the next several years, Lodge – mentored by his former teacher Henry Adams (1838-1918), grandson and great-grandson of two former presidents – worked as assistant editor of the respected intellectual quarterly North American Review and taught American history at his alma mater, publishing several books while on the faculty.

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