Misplaced Pages

Richard F. Pedersen

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
American diplomat (1925–2011)
Richard F. Pedersen
President of the American University in Cairo
In office
January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1990
Preceded byCecil K. Byrd
Succeeded byDonald McDonald
United States Ambassador to Hungary
In office
July 24, 1973 – March 26, 1975
PresidentRichard M. Nixon
Gerald Ford
Preceded byAlfred Puhan
Succeeded byEugene V. McAuliffe
16th Counselor of the United States Department of State
In office
January 24, 1969 – July 26, 1973
PresidentRichard M. Nixon
Preceded byRobert R. Bowie
Succeeded byHelmut Sonnenfeldt
Personal details
BornRichard F. Pedersen
(1925-02-21)February 21, 1925
Miami, Arizona, U.S.
DiedJuly 11, 2011(2011-07-11) (aged 86)
Greenport, New York, U.S.
Alma materCollege of the Pacific (BA)
Stanford University (MA)
Harvard University (PhD)
ProfessionDiplomat
Military service
Branch/service44th Infantry

Richard Foote Pedersen (February 21, 1925 – July 11, 2011) was an American diplomat who was a career Foreign Service Officer in the United States State Department and President of the American University in Cairo.

Early life

Pedersen was born in Miami, Arizona and served with the 44th Infantry in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. After the war, he earned a bachelor's degree in international relations from the College of the Pacific, followed by a master's degree from Stanford University and a doctorate from Harvard University.

Diplomatic career

From 1953 to 1969, Pedersen served in the United States Mission to the United Nations to the United Nations alongside Charles W. Yost. He served at the U.N. under five ambassadors, including Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. and Adlai Stevenson. From January 23, 1969 until July 26, 1973, Pedersen served as Counselor of the United States Department of State, during the Nixon Administration. In 1970, his phones were bugged by the Nixon White House, as part of an effort to investigate leaks about the Invasion of Cambodia.

United States Ambassador to Hungary

On July 24, 1973, Pedersen was appointed United States Ambassador to Hungary, and he presented his credentials on September 10, 1973. He left the post on March 26, 1975.

American University of Cairo

From 1977 until 1990, Pedersen served as the President of the American University of Cairo, and led efforts to have the University receive full higher education accreditation. During his tenure the university expanded.

Later years and death

Pederson died in Greenport, New York on July 11, 2011, at the age of 86.

References

  1. ^ Slotnick, Daniel E. (1 August 2011). "Richard F. Pedersen, Cold War Era Diplomat, Dies at 86". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  2. "Richard Foote Pedersen (1925–)". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded byAlfred Puhan United States Ambassador to Hungary
1973–1975 		Succeeded byEugene V. McAuliffe
Preceded byCecil K. Byrd President of The American University in Cairo
1977-1990 		Succeeded byDonald McDonald
Categories: