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Charles Gates Dawes (1865 – 1951) was the Honorary President of the Japan America Society of Chicago from its founding in 1930 until February 1942, when the Society suspended activities after the outbreak of the Pacific War.

About the Event 

Mr. Karr will bring to life three dramatic months of Dawes’ life that began with an urgent request on November 10, 1931 by President Herbert Hoover and Secretary of State Henry Stimson to go to Paris on a diplomatic mission to prevent war in Manchuria.  Dawes arrived in Paris days later as the Council of the League of Nations was preparing to reconvene on November 16 to review the extremely critical situation that was sparked by an incident on September 18 along the South Manchuria Railway involving the Japanese Army, Chinese Nationalists and so-called bandits.

Mr. Karr will provide insight into Dawes’ character, the criticality of his role in Paris at that time, and a fresh understanding of the events that were unfolding in Manchuria that eventually led to war in the Pacific.

About the Speaker

CLICK HERE for bio on Charles Gates Dawes

Robert W. Karr, Jr. is Chief Legal Officer, Vice President of Corporate Planning, and member of the Executive Committee of Blommer Chocolate Company, a global cocoa processing and chocolate manufacturer serving over 800 brands.  Beginning in 2014, he led the company’s expansion into China, including the establishment of a manufacturing plant in Shanghai which opened in 2017.  He was also directly involved in the preparation and sale of the company in 2019 to Fuji Oil Holdings Inc. based in Osaka, Japan, which specializes in plant-based food solutions.

Mr. Karr earned a bachelor’s degree in Asian Languages and Literature and International Business Certificate from the University of Iowa, and juris doctor degree from DePaul University School of Law. He also studied and worked extensively in Japan, including undergraduate studies at Nanzan University and law school studies at Doshisha University, and work at Nissan Construction Co., Ltd. (1991-94) and Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (2008-10).

Mr. Karr is an active volunteer in Chicago.  Among his various roles, including Japan America Society of Chicago Board Member, he has served as Chairman of the Board of Chicago Sister Cities International Program under Mayor Richard M. Daley and Board Member of the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust.  Mr. Karr has led several projects with the Chicago Park District in Jackson Park, including the establishment of a Japanese festival in 1998 for which he was awarded “Outstanding Individual” in 1999 by Friends of the Parks, and most recently the design and installation of SKYLANDING by Yoko Ono in 2016 in the Garden of the Phoenix.