Foster Rhea Dulles (1900-1970) served as a professor and chair of the department of history during his tenure with Ohio State, which ran from 1941-1965. Through his research, books and lectures, he worked throughout his life to understand the rise of the United States as a world superpower as well as to improve relations between the United States and other countries. Dulles began his career as a correspondent in 1922 for The Christian Science Monitor based in Beijing and went on to write several books about China and other Asian countries. Through his work, he often underscored the importance of understanding the influence of isolationism and internationalism as strategies in U.S. foreign policy.
Dulles authored other books on a variety of subjects including America Learns to Play, a history of American sports, Labor in America, a history of trade unions and The Civil Rights Commission: 1957-1965, a look back at the first eight years of the Civil Rights Commission.
Named in his honor, Dulles Hall was built in 1975 and houses the history department and the Melton Center for Jewish Studies.