Benson Whitney

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Benson Whitney

Benson Kelley Whitney (born August 17, 1956 in Saint Paul , Minnesota ) is an American diplomat . He was the United States Ambassador to Norway from 2006 to 2009 .

Life

Benson Whitney received a bachelor's degree (magna cum laude) from Vassar College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School . When he graduated in law , he was among the top ten percent of his year. After graduating, he was a lawyer in Minneapolis specializing in healthcare, cable television and franchise law, then worked as a partner for the Gideon Hixon Fund , then as president of the Minnesota Venture Capital Association , an umbrella organization for the venture capital industry. He was involved with the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, the organization Wilderness Inquiry , the Persephone Fund , the Headwater Fund and the Republican interest group Minnesotans for Term Limits . He was Liturgical Minister in the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis .

Benson Whitney is married with one daughter and three sons.

Political commitment

In the election to the US Senate in 2002, he was the campaign leader of the candidate of the Republican Party , the then Mayor of Saint Paul, Norm Coleman , who won this election against Walter Mondale . In the 2004 presidential election in the United States , Benson Whitney was the campaign manager in Minnesota for the re-election of George W. Bush .

Diplomatic career

On September 23, 2005, Benson Whitney was proposed by George W. Bush for the US ambassadorial post in Oslo . The US Senate confirmed this proposal on October 28, 2005. On November 28, 2005, Whitney was sworn in by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and took office as the successor to John D. Ong on January 12, 2006. Whitney was ambassador until June 20, 2009. He is succeeded by Barry B. White . Benson Whitney was awarded the Grand Cross of the Norwegian Order of Merit on June 9, 2009 . After retirement, Whitney moved to Washington, DC

WikiLeaks' publication of Benson Whitney cables to Washington caused a scandal in Norway. The content included assessments of the politicians in the Stoltenberg government by Whitney.

Web links

Commons : Benson Whitney  - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ There is also a connection to the Bush family through the father Benson Whitney, who went to school with George W. Bush's father George HW Bush . See Bush nominates new ambassador to Norway ( Memento of September 27, 2005 in the Internet Archive ), article by Nina Berglund of September 26, 2005 in the daily newspaper Aftenposten .
  2. ↑ Work report of the Royal Norwegian Court 2009 , page 25 (Norwegian, PDF )
  3. ↑ Eks-ambassadøren: - Ikke riktig å comments ( Memento of the original from December 25, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Article by Alf Ole Ask from December 15, 2010 in the daily newspaper Aftenposten (Norwegian)  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.aftenposten.no
personal data
SURNAME Whitney, Benson
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Whitney, Benson Kelley; Whitney, Benson K.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American diplomat
DATE OF BIRTH 17th August 1956
PLACE OF BIRTH Saint Paul , Minnesota