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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

Laundry was an exhausting, multi-day chore

Laundry day was a major, multi-day ordeal done in the basement, requiring heavy pots, boiling water, and intense manual labor like scrubbing and wringing, often making hands cracked and sore.

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

Walking as the standard daily transport

In rural regions at the start of the 20th century, walking was the primary mode of transportation as many villages remained poorly connected by road. Farmers typically stayed within their own community, only venturing out sporadically to sell goods at local markets.

At the table

Alcohol as a morning staple

Industrial workers would rush to taverns early in the morning for a pre-work hit of liquor, which cost 20 centimes even as late as the 1930s.