Bainbridge Colby

Bainbridge Colby served as Secretary of State during the final year of Woodrow Wilson’s administration, from March 1920 to March 1921. A New York lawyer and former Republican state legislator, he helped establish the Progressive Party in 1912 before supporting Wilson’s reelection. Wartime service on the Shipping Board and participation in the Interallied Conference preceded his appointment to replace Robert Lansing. ¹

Colby shared Wilson’s support for the League of Nations, but entered office after the Senate had rejected the Versailles Treaty and while the president’s illness restricted the administration. He had little opportunity to restore the diplomatic program that had dominated Wilson’s second term. His responsibilities centered on maintaining continuity as the presidency approached its end. ¹

His most enduring policy statement concerned Soviet Russia. Colby explained American nonrecognition in terms of the Bolshevik government’s revolutionary aims and hostility to established governments. That position helped frame a policy that survived well beyond Wilson’s presidency. Colby also toured South America, defending the Monroe Doctrine as compatible with cooperation among independent states. His reassurance reflected the continuing need to answer Latin American suspicion of American intervention. After leaving office, he returned to legal practice, including a brief professional association with Wilson. ¹