Showing 1–10 of 14 results
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Ralph Bunche graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles summa cum laude, with a major in international relations, and earned his doctorate from Harvard University in 1934. Beginning in the 1940s, Ralph Bunche embarked on a career that made him one of the most prominent diplomats in U.S. history. He…
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Death April 25, 1990 Recognition/Achievement First African American Foreign Service Officer to become an Ambassador Role/Rank Ambassador Biography Clifton Wharton earned a master of law…
People
In 1861, Abraham Lincoln chose his former rival for the Republican presidential nomination Senator William Henry Seward of New York to be his Secretary of State. He served under Lincoln and his successor, Andrew Johnson, until 1869. Although Seward was at times impetuous – shortly after taking office in 1861 he proposed…
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Death May 24, 1959 Recognition/Achievement First Secretary of State to hold regular press conferences Role/Rank Secretary of State Biography Grandson of one Secretary of State…
People
Born in 1860 in Salem, Illinois, William Jennings Bryan graduated from Illinois College in 1881 and from the Union College of Law in 1883. After a brief career in law, Bryan entered Congress as a Representative for Nebraska in 1890 and served until 1895. Upon returning to Nebraska he became an editor…
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Death July 23, 1983 Recognition/Achievement First female career Foreign Service Officer to serve as an Ambassador Role/Rank Ambassador Biography Frances Willis graduated from Stanford University…
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Born in 1745, John Jay showed great promise at a very young age, entering King's College (now Columbia University) at age fourteen. He graduated with highest honors in 1764 and was admitted to the bar to practice law in New York in 1768. As one of the most prominent members of the…
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Recognition/achievement First African-American Diplomat Role/Rank U.S. Minister to Haiti and the Dominican Republic Biography President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Ebenezer Bassett as the U.S. Minister…
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Born in Boston in 1706 as the tenth son of a soapmaker, Benjamin Franklin began his career as an apprentice in his brother’s printing business. A restless spirit took him to Philadelphia where he opened his own printing shop. Despite very little formal schooling, Franklin’s love for learning and experimentation led him…
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Thomas Jefferson was born in the British colony of Virginia to an influential planter. After studying the liberal arts at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, he entered a law office and then the Virginia House of Burgesses, distinguishing himself through his written eloquence. In June 1775, Jefferson was elected…
