Elihu Root (1845–1937) was born in Clinton, New York. He studied at Hamilton College, where his father was a professor of mathematics, and then at New York University School of Law. Root practiced in New York, excelling in his career as a lawyer and becoming increasingly active in the Republican Party. In 1899, President William McKinley asked him to serve as secretary of war, a position he held until 1905, when President Theodore Roosevelt appointed him secretary of state.
Root’s first notable act as secretary was a goodwill tour through Latin America, where he sought to ease tensions over U.S. influence in the region, particularly in light of the Spanish-American War. In addition,the U.S. also supported a revolt in Panama, so that the United States could secure the right to build the Panama Canal, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Root supported arbitration as a means for resolving international disputes and in 1912 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to international peace, including the negotiation of arbitration treaties with 24 nations. Internally, Root instituted the first Foreign Service Exam to help professionalize the Foreign Service and Consular Service and achieved other reforms that had a long-reaching impact on the Department of State.
In January 1909 Root resigned his position to join the U.S. Senate, where he served until 1915. He was also president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and founding chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations, established in 1918. In 1922 he served on the delegation to the Washington Naval Conference that achieved a reduction of naval forces by five nations, the world first disarmament agreement.