Did You Know #45

While driving through East Tennessee I noticed a sign pointing out the Cordell Hull Dam on the Cumberland River and the Cordell Hull Lake which the building of the dam created. Knowing that my Great-Great Grandmother was Rebecca Hull, I naturally wondered just who Cordell Hull was and if they were related.

As for the first question, Cordell Hull (1871-1955) was a Spanish-American War veteran who represented Tennessee in the United States Congress, but is best known as serving F.D.R. as Secretary of State for 11 years (which means that he held that post longer than anyone else in American History). He was also received Nobel Peace Prize in 1945 and was recognized by his boss as the "Father of the United Nations" (which was established under his leadership). Hull was born in a log cabin but grew up to become a lawyer and political leader on a national scale.

On his mother's side he was descended from Isaac Riley, a Revolutionary War veteran who, for his service, was given 200 acres of Tennessee land this family holds the "distinction of the most documented ancestors to have fought in the Revolutionary War" by the Daughters of the American Revolution.* You can catch Cordell Hull being portrayed by actor George Macready in Tora! Tora! Tora! and by Charles Trowbridge in the film Sergeant York.

Regarding the second question, Cordell Hull and our Great-Great Grandmother Rebecca Hull (wife of William Bragg) were 8th cousins, making Dad and Cordell Hull 8th cousins three times removed.

Thomas Hull b.1547
Joseph Hull b.1594	George Hull b.1590
Samuel Hull b.1645	Lieutenant Cornelius Hull b.1628
Samuel Hull b.1678	Cornelius Hull b.1655
Samuel Hull b.1703	Nathaniel Hull b.1694
William Hull	Nathaniel Hull b.1726
Jesse Hull	Ezekiel Hull b.1765
Allen Brock Hull b.1811	Platt Hull b.1787
William Pascal Hull b.1841	Ezekiel Hull b.1813
Cordell Hull b.1871	Rebecca L. Hull b.1841
	Frank Martin Bragg b.1867
	Orval Bishop Bragg b.1895
	Don Cicero Bragg b.1920

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hull,_Cordell

Just a Note of Interest (April 6, 2022)

According to the website wikitree, an excellent genealogy site, we are more closely related (by marriage) to Cordell Hull on Mom's side of the family. 

Samuel Peters (abt. 1753 - 1808) married Mary Taylor (abt. 1760 - 1813)
Zachariah Peters (1780 - 1864)	Hannah (Peters) McCart (1783 - 1854)
James M. Peters (1820 - 1897)	Rachel (McCart) Peters (1805 – 1889)
Margaret N. Peters (1851 - 1901)	Hannah D. Peters (1828 - 1907)
Zachariaous I. Standerfer (1871 - 1936)	Frances (Davidson) Hull (1847 - 1873)**
Mercedes (Standerfer) Ethington (1892 – 1955)
Mary Jean (Ethington) Bragg

 **Wife of Nathaniel Riley Hull (1843 - 1923) brother of William Pascal Hull (1840 - 1923),

who was the father of  Cordell Hull (1871 - 1955)