VMD was born in Russia to parents who later fled from the Bolshevik revolution. Educated at Radcliffe College (AB '25, Ph.D. '28), she joined the staff of the Foreign Policy Association, where she spent most of her professional life. The Association, founded in 1918, provided unbiased, factual information on foreign affairs to the American public. In 1933 she became Editor of Research Publications; from 1938 to 1961 she was Research Director and, from 1951 to 1961, she also served as Editor of Foreign Policy Bulletin .
VMD's reputation as an author, editor, and specialist in international relations enabled her to find additional work as a consultant and teacher. In 1943 and 1945 she served on the U.S. delegations to the founding conferences of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and the United Nations. In 1954-1962, VMD directed the Non-Western Civilization Program at the University of Rochester. After her retirement from the Foreign Policy Association she served as Professor of International Development at New York University's Graduate School of Public Administration from 1962 to 1971. For further biographical information, see Notable American Women: The Modern Period, the Schlesinger Library's Biography File, and the card catalogue of the Radcliffe College Archives.
From the guide to the Papers, 1929-ca.1971, (Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute)
