Joseph Grew

Joseph Grew
5th and 13th United States Under Secretary of State
In office December 20, 1944 – August 15, 1945
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman
Preceded by	Edward Stettinius Jr.
Succeeded by	Dean Acheson
In office April 16, 1924 – June 30, 1927
President	Calvin Coolidge
Preceded by	William Phillips
Succeeded by	Robert E. Olds
United States Secretary of State
Ad interim
In office June 28, 1945 – July 3, 1945
President	Harry S. Truman
Preceded by	Edward Stettinius Jr.
Succeeded by	James F. Byrnes
13th United States Ambassador to Japan
In office June 14, 1932 – December 8, 1941
President	Herbert Hoover Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	W. Cameron Forbes
Succeeded by	William J. Sebald (ad interim)
6th United States Ambassador to Turkey
In office October 12, 1927 – March 13, 1932
President	Calvin Coolidge Herbert Hoover
Preceded by	Abram I. Elkus (Ottoman Empire)
Succeeded by	Charles H. Sherrill
26th United States Ambassador to Switzerland
In office September 24, 1921 – March 22, 1924
President	Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge
Preceded by	Hampson Gary
Succeeded by	Hugh S. Gibson
32nd United States Ambassador to Denmark
In office April 7, 1920 – October 14, 1921
President	Woodrow Wilson Warren G. Harding
Preceded by	Norman Hapgood
Succeeded by	John Dyneley Prince
Personal details
Born	Joseph Clark Grew (1880-05-27)May 27, 1880 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	May 25, 1965(1965-05-25) (aged 84)
Spouse	Alice (Perry) Grew
Children	Lilla Cabot Grew
Alma mater	Harvard University

Joseph Clark Grew (May 27, 1880 – May 25, 1965) was an American career diplomat and Foreign Service officer. He is best known as the ambassador to Japan from 1932 to 1941^[1] and as a high official in the State Department in Washington from 1944 to 1945. He opposed American hardliners, sought to avoid war, and helped to ensure the soft Japanese surrender in 1945 that enabled a peaceful American occupation of Japan after the war.

After numerous minor diplomatic appointments, Grew was the Ambassador to Denmark (1920–1921) and Ambassador to Switzerland (1921–1924). In 1924, Grew became the Under Secretary of State and oversaw the establishment of the US Foreign Service. Grew then became Ambassador to Turkey (1927–1932). As Ambassador to Japan (1932–1941), he opposed American hardliners and recommended negotiation with Tokyo to avoid war until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941). He was interned until American and Japanese diplomats were formally exchanged in 1942.^[1]

On return to Washington, DC, he became the second official in the State Department as Under Secretary and sometimes served as acting Secretary of State. He successfully promoted a soft peace with Japan that would allow Emperor Hirohito to maintain his status, which facilitated the Emperor's decision to surrender in 1945.