ABSTRACT
Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjold was born on July 29, 1905 in Jonkoping, Sweden. He grew up in a home dominated by the ideals of public service and faith in one's own convictions. Educated at the University in Uppsala, Hammarskjold first studied social philosophy and French literature, later turning to the fields of economics and political economy. First employed on the staff of the National Bank of Sweden, he then became permanent undersecretary of Sweden's Ministry of Finance. During World War II, he combined this latter post with service as board chairman of the Swedish National Bank, retaining that position until 1948. As secretary-general of the United Nations from 1953 to 1961, Hammarskjold vastly increased both the influence and the prestige of the United Nations (UN). He oversaw the explosive growth of the organization among Third World nations, prevented the UN from becoming a pawn of the major Cold War rivals, and initiated the UN's peacekeeping role.
