Wasn’t it the president who signed the UN Charter? As in Truman? My dad said that “should the US join the UN” was a common debate topic in high schools and college in 1944, I suppose it was, since it was signed in 1945 at San Francisco. How did that work - doesn’t that take ratification by all the states legislature?
The U.S. Senate ratified the UN Charter by a vote of 89 to 2 on July 28, 1945. Per Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 that's all that's needed.
Indeed. But Congress ratified it.
My dad said that “should the US join the UN” was a common debate topic in high schools and college in 1944, I suppose it was, since it was signed in 1945 at San Francisco.
The San Francisco meeting resulted in a signing of an agreement - not a treaty. It was not until all five members of the permanent Security Council had ratified the Charter months after the meeting that it came into effect.
How did that work - doesn’t that take ratification by all the states legislature?
Only a constitutional amendment requires the ratification of all the states' legislatures. Treaties don't have to meet that high of a test.