The Lodge family of Massachusetts has produced two statesmen named Henry Cabot Lodge. The first Henry Cabot Lodge, a driving force in American foreign policy in the early 20th century, was born into one of Massachusetts’ most prominent families. The great grandson of the famed merchant and politician, George Cabot, young Lodge was educated at Dixwell’s Latin School and graduated from Harvard in 1871. He then spent a year touring Europe, but returned to Harvard for a law degree in 1874 and a Ph.D. in political science in 1876. During his studies, he was an assistant editor of the North American Review and later co-edited the International Review.
Henry Cabot Lodge began his political career in 1880 when he was elected to the Massachusetts legislature for a single term. He failed in his first attempt for a seat in Congress, but succeeded in 1886 and was recognized for his efforts to support civil service reform and the protection of voting rights in the South.
