Charles G. Dawes
The pragmatic banker and vice president who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his plan to stabilize Europe's shattered post-war economies.
1865–1951 (age 86)·Vice President of the United States from 1925 to 1929·Birthday: August 27·The Gilded Age
Biography
Charles G. Dawes was a man of intense energy and specific talents who operated at the highest levels of finance, diplomacy, and politics. A shrewd banker from Ohio, he made a fortune in utilities before entering public service. His moment of global impact came after World War I, when the victorious Allies were locked in a destructive struggle over German war reparations. As head of a committee of experts, Dawes crafted a pragmatic, workable plan that restructured Germany's debt, provided international loans, and temporarily eased the economic crisis that was fueling political extremism. For this, he shared the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as Vice President under Calvin Coolidge—a role he reportedly found dull—and later as Ambassador to the United Kingdom. A composer in his spare time, Dawes embodied an early 20th-century ideal of the capable, public-minded businessman.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Charles was born in 1865, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1865
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1865Born
President: Andrew Johnson
1870Started school
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1878Became a teenager
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1881Could drive
President: Chester A. Arthur
1883Could vote
President: Chester A. Arthur
1886Turned 21
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1895Turned 30
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1905Turned 40
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1915Turned 50
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Turned 60
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1935Turned 70
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1945Turned 80
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1951Died at 86
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
Key Achievements
- Co-recipient of the 1925 Nobel Peace Prize for authoring the Dawes Plan to resolve the World War I reparations crisis.
- Served as the 30th Vice President of the United States under President Calvin Coolidge from 1925 to 1929.
- Appointed as the first Director of the Bureau of the Budget in 1921, creating the modern federal budgeting process.
- Served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1929 to 1932.
Did You Know?
He composed a melody in 1912 that became a #1 hit song, 'It's All in the Game,' in 1951 when lyrics were added.
Dawes was known for his fiery temper and his ever-present pipe.
He and his vice-presidential running mate, Calvin Coolidge, did not campaign together and had little personal rapport.
“The Vice-Presidency isn't worth a pitcher of warm spit.”
