About
Adlai Ewing Stevenson II was an American politician and diplomat. Governor of Illinois from 1949 to 1953, he was the Democratic nominee for president in 1952 and 1956, losing to Dwight D. Eisenhower. As U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 1961 to 1965, he played a key role during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Grandson of Vice President Adlai Stevenson I, he was known for his eloquence and internationalist commitment.
Major works
- Call to Greatness (1954)essay
- What I Think (1956)essay
- Friends and Enemies (1958)essay
- Putting First Things First (1960)essay
- Looking Outward: Years of Crisis at the United Nations (1963)essay
Key milestones
- 1949Elected Governor of Illinois with a record majority.
- 1952Democratic nominee for President of the United States, defeated by Dwight D. Eisenhower.
- 1962Confronts Soviet Ambassador Valerian Zorin at the UN Security Council during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Themes
Multilateral diplomacyCold WarGovernment reformPolitical eloquenceInternationalism
Sources: id.loc.gov · nga.org · britannica.com