Evening star., 1938-05-28
MRS. DODD, WIFE
OF FEX-ENy0Y, DIES
Sudden Heart Attack Is
FataI-Death Occurs on
Virginia Farm.
Spt cial Dispatch to The Star.


PURCELLVILLE, Va. May 28.-
Mrs. William E. Dodd, So, wife of the
former United States Ambassador to
Germany, was found dead from a sud
den heart attack in her bed at the
Dodd farm near here today.
The body was discovered by DR..
Dodd. who had returned to the quiet
life of his Virginia farm with his
wife this spring after resigning his
post in Berlin because he thought
it was "a hopeless task to represent
this country in Nazi Germany
Mrs. Dodd~ had been in apparently
good health this week, with no indi-
cations of the sudden attack that took
her life, apparently as she was prepar-
ing to retire last night.
DR.. Dodd became alarmed when she
failed to appear for breakfast by
9 am, an hour or more later than
she usually arose.
DR.. Dodd said he went to his wifes
room and found her lying across the
bed. partially unclothed, and with the
lights still on in the room. He sum-
moned a physician, who said she ap-
parently had been stricken shortly be-
fore midnight.
Mrs. Dodd had developed heart
trouble while in Berlin, apparently as
a result of the active life she led there
in helping him face many of the diff
culties of his position, the former AM
bassador said She had not been seri-
ously ill, however, and had been par
ticularly active the past week in su-
pervising redecoration of their home
and making plans for the summer.
Besides her husband, Mrs Dodd
is survived by a son, William E. Dodd,
jr., who is running for Congress in
the forthcoming Democratic primaries,
and was at his campaign headquar-
ters in Alexandria when informed of
his mothers death, and a daughter
Martha, living in New York.
The former Martha Johns of Au-
Dodd, who then was professor of
history at Randolph Macon College,
on December "a, 1901. DR.. Dodd Is
a native of Clayton, NJ C.
When Mr.. Dodd was appointed Am
bassador to Germany in 1888. Mrs.
Dodd soon joined him in Berlin and
was with him during the four years in
which his admiration of the former
German culture turned to a violent
dislike of the Nazi government. He
had received Phi. D. degree from the
University of Leipzig in 1900 and ac-
cepted his diplomatic assignment with
pleasure, but resigned four years later
after becoming persona non grata
with Nazi officials because of his out
spoken criticism of their regime.
Since returning to this country in
January, the Dodds have spent most
of their time in Washington and
on their farm near here. DR..
Dodd. who was professor of Amer
ican history at the University of Chi
cago when appointed to the Berlin
post. has devoted part of his time to
teaching course on great American
Presidents as visiting professor at
the American University Graduate
School in Washington.
DR.. and Mrs. Dodd moved their
residence here from Washington on
April 6 and had planned to spend
the rest of their lives here" DR.. Dodd
said.
Mrs. Dodd was a member of the
National Democratic Women's Club in
Washington and had been actively
interested in her sons campaign for
nomination to Congress. She was a
member of the Baptist Church.
Funeral arrangements had not been
made this morning.