Fosdick

Raymond Blaine Fosdick (1883-1972) was a lawyer, public servant, and author. He was born in Buffalo, New York to parents Frank and Amy. Fosdick attended Princeton University, receiving his undergraduate degree in 1905 and a graduate degree in 1906. He continued his studies at New York Law School, where he earned his LL.B. while concurrently working at the Henry Street Settlement on New York City's Lower East Side.

After graduating from law school in 1908, Fosdick served as Commissioner of Accounts for the city of New York from 1910 to 1913. He investigated city and county government in an effort to rid New York of corrupt politicians and corporations participating in illegal activities.

On January 1, 1913, Fosdick was retained by the Bureau of Social Hygiene, funded by John D. Rockefeller, Sr., to make a comprehensive study of all aspects of police administration and work in Europe. His travels in Europe in 1913 were the basis for his book European Police Systems, published in February 1915. From 1915 to 1916, Fosdick was a member of the New York City Board of Education, an organization that concentrated on the development of educational facilities.

Upon the United States' entry into World War I, Mr. Fosdick was released by the Bureau to take the chairmanship of the Commission on Training Camp Activities of the Army and Navy Department. The goal of this department was to keep morale high among soldiers stationed at home and abroad. It sponsored activities that promoted health, athletics, and recreation in order to "conserve the vitality of the men." Various rules and regulations were established by the Department that prohibited prostitution, gambling, and alcohol. In this role, Fosdick worked closely with organizations such as the Young Men's Christian Association and the Red Cross.

During part of this period, Fosdick was also a special representative of the War Department in France and a civilian aide to General Pershing during the Paris Peace Conference. In 1919 and 1920, Fosdick served as Under Secretary General for the League of Nations until it became clear that the United States was not going to ratify the League of Nations covenant. He returned to the Bureau of Social Hygiene and resumed his work on police systems in the United States, publishing American Police Systems in 1920.

From 1920 through 1936, Fosdick was part of the Curtis, Fosdick, and Belknap law firm. In 1921, he became a board member at the Rockefeller Foundation. Fosdick also became a member of the General Education Board and the International Education Board in 1922 and 1923, respectively. In 1933, he was commissioned by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. to study alcohol regulation, which resulted in the book Toward Liquor Control published that same year.

Fosdick was elected president of the Rockefeller Foundation and assumed the position on July 1, 1936. Under Fosdick's leadership, the organization contributed to medical research, developments in agriculture, and programs in the humanities and social sciences. Fosdick worked at the Rockefeller Foundation until 1948. In his retirement, Fosdick authored a book about the organization, 1952's The Story of the Rockefeller Foundation.

Fosdick wrote many other books over the course of his lifetime, including an autobiography, Chronicle of a Generation, which was published in 1958. He was the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the title of Commander in the French Legion of Honor. Raymond Fosdick died in Newtown, Connecticut at age 89.