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C. Douglas Dillon

Geneva, 21 Aug 1909 – New York City, 10 Jan 2003

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born21 Aug 1909, Genevanot verified1 source
  • MarriedPhyllis C. Ellsworthnot verified1 source
  • Titlechairpersonor United States Secretary of the Treasury, 1961–1965 · ambassadornot verified1 source
  • Titleambassadoror United States Secretary of the Treasury, 1961–1965 · chairpersonnot verified1 source
  • TitleUnited States Secretary of the Treasury, 1961–1965or chairperson · ambassadornot verified1 source
  • Died10 Jan 2003, New York Citynot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 21 Aug 1909

    Born in Geneva

  2. 31 Jan 1935

    A daughter is born

  3. 1961–1965

    United States Secretary of the Treasury

  4. 10 Jan 2003

    Dies in New York City, aged 93

Family

See the tree

Partner

Children · 1

During his lifetime

He lived through 11 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Geneva.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1900s · C. is born in Geneva

Who governed

Music

The Unique Sound of Talerschwingen

Talerschwingen is a unique performance where a coin is rhythmically rolled inside an earthenware bowl to create a drone, often accompanying natural yodeling.

Daily life

Child labor in embroidery industry

Children as young as six were often employed to thread embroidery needles for hours before, during, and after school, deep into the night.

What it cost

Worker wages in 1906

In 1906, daily wages for day laborers at a gas works in Schlieren ranged from 2.80 to 6.25 Swiss francs, while permanent employees earned 115 to 210 francs per month.

The Model T. Ford’s assembly line made a car ordinary families could buy: fifteen million were built.Around the world · 1908–1927

The Model T. Ford’s assembly line made a car ordinary families could buy: fifteen million were built.

ModelTMitch · public domain

What people wore

Distinctive accessories for herdsmen

Herdsmen used an earring called an Ohreschueffe, which consisted of a miniature cream ladle attached to a short chain by a snake’s head. For everyday smoking, they carried a Lindauerli pipe, which was distinguished by having a silver lid.

Getting around

Gotthard railway slashes transit times

By the turn of the century, the Gotthard railway had reduced the travel time between Basel and Chiasso to approximately 10.5 hours. This represented a massive improvement over earlier methods, which had taken 3.5 days by carriage or 6 days by mule train.

At the table

Stretching meals with bread and coffee

Working-class families spent approximately 62 percent of their income on food, relying heavily on bread, potatoes, and coffee mixed with chicory as a cheaper substitute. Bread was so essential that it was used to stretch every meal, including soups or rösti.