David D. Newsom

David Dunlop Newsom (born January 6, 1918 in Richmond , California , † March 30, 2008 in Charlottesville , Virginia ) was an American diplomat who served as the United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, the third highest post in the United States Department of State clothed.

Life

After attending school, Newsom studied English at the University of California at Berkeley , where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (AB English) in 1938 . He then completed a postgraduate degree in journalism at Columbia University in 1940 with a Master of Science (MS Journalism). After he had done his military service in the US Navy between 1942 and 1946 during the Second World War , he entered the diplomatic service after attending the American Academy of Diplomacy and served as Vice Consul in Karachi between 1947 and 1950 . After a subsequent employment as Vice Consul in Oslo , he was consul in Baghdad from 1951 to 1955 and at the same time from 1953 to 1955 public affairs officer of the newly founded US Information Agency .

After his return to the USA, he was from 1955 to 1959 responsible advisor for affairs on the Arabian Peninsula in the State Department and, after a further assignment in the State Department, from October 1965 to June 1969 as the successor to E. Allan Lightner, Jr. Ambassador to Libya . He then returned to the State Department and was Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs between July 1969 and January 1974 . In February 1974 he succeeded Francis Joseph Galbraith as ambassador to Indonesia and then in November 1977 to William H. Sullivan as ambassador to the Philippines .

Most recently, Newsom held from April 1978 to February 1981 as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, the third highest post in the State Department of the United States. In this role he played a key role in negotiations to end the hostage situation in Tehran .

After retiring from the diplomatic service, Newsom, who was also involved in the Council on Foreign Relations , became Associate Dean of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University . Most recently, from 1991 to 1998 he was Professor of International Studies and Diplomacy at the University of Virginia and, at the same time, Director of the Institute for the Studies of Diplomacy there.

Publications

Newsom was also a columnist in the daily newspaper The Christian Science Monitor and also published several books on foreign policy issues. His most important books include:

• The Soviet Brigade in Cuba: A Study in Political Diplomacy (1987)
• Diplomacy and the American Democracy (1988)
• The Public Dimension of Foreign Policy (1996)
• The Imperial Mantle: The United States, Decolonization, and the Third (2001)

Web links

• David D. Newsom in nndb (English)
• Conversations with History: Reflections of a Diplomat (Interview with Harry Kreisler on June 13, 2002, youtube.com)
• Conversations with History: Reflections of a Diplomat (Interview with Harry Kreisler on June 13, 2002, text version)
• THE NEW YORK TIMES: David Newsom, 90, Diplomat in Iran Crisis, Dies (April 5, 2008)
• THE WASHINGTON POST: David D. Newsom; Diplomat Played Key Role During Iran Hostage Crisis (April 3, 2008)