Robert Granville Caldwell

Caldwell began teaching before earning his doctorate, first at Huron College and then at his alma mater, the College of Wooster, where he lectured in economics.^[1][2] In 1914 he joined the faculty of the Rice Institute — now Rice University — teaching American History, a position he held for 19 years.^[1] After leaving Rice, he briefly taught at Columbia University and the University of Chicago.^[1]

Caldwell was appointed the chief representative of the United States to Portugal, at the rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, on June 13, 1933, presenting his credentials on August 21, 1933, and serving until May 28, 1937.^[3] He, thereafter, served in the same post in Bolivia from August 1937 to June 23, 1939.^[3]

Following his return to the United States, Caldwell accepted an appointment as dean of humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a post he held until 1948.^[1] From 1948 to about 1952, he served as cultural attache at the United States embassy to Argentina and then spent four years in the same post at the United States embassy to Mexico.^[1]

Caldwell was the author of three books: The Lopez Expedition to Cuba (1915), A Short History of the American People (1927), and James A. Garfield — Party Chieftain (1931).^[1]

Caldwell was married and had three children.^[4][1] His son, Robert, served as a clandestine officer in the Central Intelligence Agency and his grandson through Robert, Duncan, is a paleontologist and artist.^[5][6]