Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J. was born on 24 August 1918 in Auburn (New York), USA. The son of U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, he was raised a Protestant but converted to the Catholic faith while a student at Harvard College. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he entered the Society of Jesus and was ordained on 16 June 1956. He holds a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome.

He taught theology at Woodstock College (1960-74) and the Catholic University of America (1974-88), and was a visiting professor at numerous other institutions. The author of 21 books and over 650 articles, he was President of the Catholic Theological Society of America and the American Theological Society. He was also a member of the International Theological Commission and the U.S. Lutheran/Roman Catholic Dialogue, and a consultor to the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Doctrine. He is currently the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University, New York.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001, of the Deaconry of SS. Nomi di Gesù e Maria in Via Lata (the Most Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in Via Lata).