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Elihu Root

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U.S. Secretary of State

The Resume

    (February 15, 1845-February 7, 1937)
    Born in Clinton, New York
    US Secretary of War (1899-1904)
    US Secretary of State (1905-09)
    US Senator from New York (1909-15)
    President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (1910-25)
    Won the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting international cooperation and arbitration (1912)

Why he might be annoying:

    As an attorney, his clients included robber baron Jay Gould and corrupt politician Boss Tweed.
    As Secretary of War, he led the brutal suppression of the Emilio Aguinaldo rebellion in the Philippines.
    He was a controversial Nobel Peace Prize winner due to his unabashed imperialism.
    His potential nomination to the Supreme Court was scuttled by scathing articles in the Spokane Press about his past association with Boss Tweed (1910).
    He had a rather bland personality, with one biographer saying, 'No anecdotes are told of Elihu Root.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was valedictorian of his class at Hamilton College.
    He modernized the US Army to make it on par with the best in Europe.
    His innovations included establishing a general staff, founding the Army War College, and introducing the rotation of officers between staff and line positions.
    As Secretary of State, he introduced the Foreign Service Exam, improved relations with Latin America, maintained the Open Door Policy in China, and settled a long-running fishery dispute with Canada.
    He served on the commission that created the World Court (1922).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 9 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying