Wilson had three secretaries of state during his two terms in office: William Jennings Bryan, Robert Lansing, and Bain-bridge Colby. Bryan, the former three-time Democratic presidential nomine, served as Wilson’s first secretary of state. Wilson respected Bryan, who had helped him get the nomination back in 1912. However, Bryan opposed Wilson’s strong position concerning German aggression and the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. Bryan believed in complete neutrality by the United States. He resigned because of this issue. Lansing, an expert in international law, fell out of favor with President Wilson because he disfavored the League of Nations and suggested that Vice President Marshall should take over for Wilson during a period when the president was debilitated. Colby, another lawyer-politician, supported Wilson’s policies, including the League of Nations. He later practiced law with Wilson.