Karl Rankin

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Karl Rankin in National Taiwan University Hospital , August 1, 1953.

Karl Lott Rankin (born September 4, 1898 in Manitowoc , Wisconsin ; † January 15, 1991 in Kennebunkport , Maine ) was an American diplomat who was ambassador to Taiwan between 1953 and 1957 and most recently from 1957 to 1961 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was.

Life

Studies, beginning of the diplomatic career and Second World War

After attending school from 1917 to 1919, Rankin initially studied at the California Institute of Technology and, in the meantime, also served in the US Navy in 1918 . After studying at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich from 1920 to 1921, he studied civil engineering at Princeton University and graduated in 1922 with a Bachelor of Science (BS Civil Engineering). He then worked as a senior civil engineer in the Middle East and Russia between 1922 and 1925 , overseeing construction work there after the First World War .

In 1927 Rankin entered the diplomatic service of the US State Department and was first deputy commercial agent and then from 1929 to 1932 commercial attaché in Prague . After he was commercial attaché in Athens and Tirana between 1932 and 1939 , he served as commercial attaché in Brussels and Luxembourg from 1939 and 1940 . During this time, Belgium was occupied by the German Wehrmacht . In 1940 he was appointed commercial attaché in Belgrade before he was seconded to Manila in 1941 . After the occupation of the Philippines by the Imperial Japanese Army , he was in a Japanese internment camp between 1942 and 1943 .

After his release in 1944 Rankin first commercial attaché in Cairo and 1944-1946 Counselor for Economic Affairs at the Embassy in Greece , at least 1946, Charge d'Affaires was.

Post war, ambassador to Taiwan and Yugoslavia

After serving from 1946 to 1947 as legation counsel for economic affairs at the representation in Austria , between 1947 and 1949 he was again counselor for economic affairs at the embassy in Greece and from 1947 to 1948 again chargé d'affaires. During this time he also dealt with questions relating to relations with Yugoslavia.

Rankin was head of the Consulate General in Hong Kong between 1949 and until his replacement by Walter P. McConaughy in August 1950 and then served as envoy and chargé d'affaires in Taiwan between August 1950 and April 1953 , where he served between April 2, 1953 and April 30, 1953. December 1957 was the first ambassador. He was succeeded on May 8, 1958 Everett F. Drumright .

Most recently he was on February 19, 1958 as the successor to James W. Riddleberger Ambassador to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) and remained in this post until his retirement on April 22, 1961. He was then succeeded on May 16 1961 George F. Kennan .

Rankin died of prostate cancer at the age of 92 .

publication

  • The Czechoslovak iron and steel industry , 1930
  • Communist Insurgency in Greece. A Lecture devilvered at Naval War College, June 6, 1962 , in: Naval War College Review , September 1962, pp. 1-21
  • China Assignment , Memoir, 1964

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lorraine M. Lees: Keeping Tito Afloat: The United States, Yugoslavia, and the Cold War, 1945-1960 , 2010, ISBN 0-27104-063-7 , p. 230
  2. ↑ US Consul General in Hong Kong
  3. ^ US Ambassador to Taiwan
  4. ^ US Ambassador to Yugoslavia
personal data
SURNAME Rankin, Karl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Rankin, Karl Lott (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American diplomat
DATE OF BIRTH September 4, 1898
PLACE OF BIRTH Manitowoc , Wisconsin
DATE OF DEATH January 15, 1991
Place of death Kennebunkport , Maine