Sumner Welles was an American diplomat and government official who served as the United States Secretary of State from 1944 to 1945. Born on October 14, 1892, in New York City, he passed away on September 24, 1961. Welles played a crucial role in shaping American foreign policy during World War II and the post-war period, advocating for a more aggressive approach to the war and the creation of a new international order.