James W. (James Watson) Gerard

Born in Geneseo, New York, in 1867, James W. Gerard built his early career in law and public service. He studied at Columbia University and New York Law School, practiced in New York, and went on to serve as a justice of the New York Supreme Court.

In 1913, he was appointed U.S. ambassador to Germany, a post he held until relations were broken off in 1917. That role placed him at the center of major diplomatic strains during the years just before the United States entered World War I, and he became known for handling difficult negotiations during a highly volatile period.

Gerard also wrote about the world he had witnessed firsthand. His best-known book, My Four Years in Germany, helped bring his wartime observations to a broad American audience, and his later writing continued to reflect his interest in politics, diplomacy, and world affairs.