John Davis and Francesca Braggiotti Lodge Collection (Mss. Gr. 210)

Biographical Information

John Davis Lodge, a scion of prominent American families was born and raised in Washington, DC and Paris, France. After graduating from Harvard College in 1925 and Harvard Law School in 1929, Lodge married Italian-born dancer and actress Francesca, daughter of Lily (Schlesinger) and Isidore Braggiotti. Lodge began to practice law in New York City for several years thereafter until he made a trip to California to visit his wife who was temporarily working under contract for a movie studio.

Involved in dramatics throughout his school days, Lodge accepted a talent agent's offer to sit for a screen test in 1932. Paramount Pictures offered him a lucrative six-month contract, which marked the beginning of a screen and stage career spanning a decade. Lodge returned to the U.S. from France where he had been living in 1939 with his wife and two young daughters to accept a commission in the United States Navy Reserves. Lodge continued acting in Broadway stage productions until he was called to active duty as a liaison between French and American fleets during World War II (1942-1946).

After the war, Lodge entered into a career of public service that lasted until his death. A Republican, he served as congressman (1947-1951) and governor (1951-1955) of Connecticut. Lodge was later appointed U.S. Ambassador to Spain (1955-1961) under President Eisenhower, U.S. Ambassador to Argentina (1969-1974) under President Nixon, and U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland (1983) under President Reagan. He served as a delegate to the United Nations in the two years before his death in 1985.