Dodd gained an affinity for speaking Spanish as a teenager while going down to the docks in his hometown in Connecticut, where he often interacted with Spanish speaking-immigrants who worked as fishermen. He obtained his B.S.F.S from the School of Foreign Service in 1957. He went on to earn his Master of Arts and PhD from George Washington University, where he was also formerly an adjunct professor.[3]
Dodd has taught Latin American history and diplomacy at the School of Foreign Service for over 30 years, where he is professor emeritus. He has written several books on Latin America and edited the papers of the Colombian diplomat Tomás Herrán. Dodd is also the author of a biography of Tiburcio Carias.[5] He is a member of the Inter-American Foundation board of directors.[6]
Personal life
Dodd is the son of the late former U.S. Senator Thomas J. Dodd and brother of former U.S. Senator Chris Dodd.
Books
Tiburcio Carias: Portrait of a Honduran Political Leader, Louisiana State University Press, 2005.
Managing Democracy in Central America: United States Election Supervision in Nicaragua, 1927-1933, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1992
The Letters of Tomás Herrán and the Panama Crisis, 1900-1903.