Claude G. Ross: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|American diplomat}} |
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'''Claude Gordon'''<ref>Sometimes reported as Claude George Anthony Ross</ref> '''Anthony "Tony" Ross''' (October 26, 1917 - January 18, 2006) was an American [[diplomat]]. He served as the [[List of ambassadors of the United States to the Central African Republic|US Ambassador to the Central African Republic]], [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Haiti|Haiti]], and [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Tanzania|Tanzania]]. |
'''Claude Gordon'''<ref>Sometimes reported as Claude George Anthony Ross</ref> '''Anthony "Tony" Ross''' (October 26, 1917 - January 18, 2006) was an American [[diplomat]]. He served as the [[List of ambassadors of the United States to the Central African Republic|US Ambassador to the Central African Republic]], [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Haiti|Haiti]], and [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Tanzania|Tanzania]]. |
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== Early life == |
== Early life and education == |
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Ross was born in [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]] in 1917 to Grace Faulkner and Claude Ross. |
Ross was born in [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]] in 1917 to Grace Faulkner and Claude Ross. The family moved to southern [[California]] when Ross was an infant.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=L. A. Times |date=2006-02-15 |title=Claude Gordon Ross, 88; U.S. Diplomat Served in Africa, State Dept. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-feb-15-me-passings15.1-story.html |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> Ross' interest in the foreign service started young. He was fascinated with geography from a young age and collected foreign stamps.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Tobert |first=Horace G. |url=https://adst.org/search-results/?q=claude+g+ross#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=claude%20g%20ross&gsc.page=1 |title=Interview with Claude G. Ross |date=1989-02-16 |publisher=The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training |location=Washington D.C.}}</ref> |
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He graduated from [[Huntington Park High School]] and received a scholarship to the [[University of Southern California|University of Southern California (USC)]].<ref name=":0" /> While attending USC, he worked for the Los Angeles Daily Newspaper from 1934-1935.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1963-08-01 |title=Ross New Ambassador to CAR |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951t004051090&seq=522 |journal=State Department Newsletter |issue=28 |pages=34 |via=Hathitrust}}</ref> Ross graduated [[Latin honors|summa cum laude]] from USC in 1939 with a [[bachelor's degree]] in International Relations. |
He graduated from [[Huntington Park High School]] and received a scholarship to the [[University of Southern California|University of Southern California (USC)]].<ref name=":0" /> While attending USC, he worked for the Los Angeles Daily Newspaper from 1934-1935.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1963-08-01 |title=Ross New Ambassador to CAR |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951t004051090&seq=522 |journal=State Department Newsletter |issue=28 |pages=34 |via=Hathitrust}}</ref> Ross graduated [[Latin honors|summa cum laude]] from USC in 1939 with a [[bachelor's degree]] in International Relations. He was a member of [[Phi Beta Kappa]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Ross |url=https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/ross.html#503.62.19 |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=politicalgraveyard.com}}</ref> The School of International Relations at USC was headed by [[Claude A. Buss]], an ex-[[Foreign Service officer|Foreign Service Officer (FSO)]]. Ross was the first graduate of the program to become a US Ambassador.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2006-03-02 |title=A Life in Service |url=https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/a-life-in-service/ |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=News and Events |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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Ross married Antigone Andrea Peterson in 1940 and they had two children: [[Christopher W. S. Ross]] and Geoffrey Faulkner Ross. |
Ross married Antigone Andrea Peterson in 1940 and they had two children: [[Christopher W. S. Ross]] and Geoffrey Faulkner Ross. Ross learned Greek to marry his wife, a prerequisite of his [[Parent-in-law|father-in-law]].<ref name=":0" /> |
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Ross was proficient in four different languages: French, Spanish, Greek, and German.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=2024-01-31 |title=Former Ambassador Claude G. Ross, 88 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/02/16/former-ambassador-claude-g-ross-88/f8e1326f-358e-452d-b9cb-aa9350080d67/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827172343/https://www.washingtonpost.com/web/20170827172343/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/02/16/former-ambassador-claude-g-ross-88/f8e1326f-358e-452d-b9cb-aa9350080d67/?utm_term=.b70f18f08222 |archive-date=2017-08-27 |access-date=2024-06-28 |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> He passed his skills in language on to his son, [[Christopher W. S. Ross]], who also served as an ambassador; Christopher Ross was renowned as the most fluent non-native Arabic speaker in the Foreign Service during his career.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fiore |first=Faye |date=2001-11-19 |title=The War of Arabic Words Is Former U.S. Diplomat's Arena |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-nov-19-mn-5811-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628025404/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-nov-19-mn-5811-story.html |archive-date=2024-06-28 |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> |
Ross was proficient in four different languages: French, Spanish, Greek, and German.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=2024-01-31 |title=Former Ambassador Claude G. Ross, 88 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/02/16/former-ambassador-claude-g-ross-88/f8e1326f-358e-452d-b9cb-aa9350080d67/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827172343/https://www.washingtonpost.com/web/20170827172343/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/02/16/former-ambassador-claude-g-ross-88/f8e1326f-358e-452d-b9cb-aa9350080d67/?utm_term=.b70f18f08222 |archive-date=2017-08-27 |access-date=2024-06-28 |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> He passed his skills in language on to his son, [[Christopher W. S. Ross]], who also served as an ambassador; Christopher Ross was renowned as the most fluent non-native Arabic speaker in the Foreign Service during his career.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fiore |first=Faye |date=2001-11-19 |title=The War of Arabic Words Is Former U.S. Diplomat's Arena |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-nov-19-mn-5811-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628025404/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-nov-19-mn-5811-story.html |archive-date=2024-06-28 |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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A year after the coup, Ross was nominated to the ambassadorship in Haiti by [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. Haiti's president and an infamous [[Despotism|despot]], [[François Duvalier]] or Papa Doc, reported liked Ross despite his orders to maintain "correct but cool relations."<ref name=":1" /> |
A year after the coup, Ross was nominated to the ambassadorship in Haiti by [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. Haiti's president and an infamous [[Despotism|despot]], [[François Duvalier]] or Papa Doc, reported liked Ross despite his orders to maintain "correct but cool relations."<ref name=":1" /> |
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In 1969, Ross received a call from John H Burns, the US Ambassador to Tanzania, asking him if he wanted the job. Ross preferred a position in Latin America, but reluctantly agreed. A few months later, an informal offer came for the ambassadorship to Venezuela, but by then it was too late and Ross went to Tanzania instead.<ref name=":1" /> He was the US Ambassador to Tanzania until 1972. |
In 1969, Ross received a call from John H Burns, the US Ambassador to Tanzania, asking him if he wanted the job. Ross preferred a position in Latin America, but reluctantly agreed. A few months later, an informal offer came for the ambassadorship to Venezuela, but by then it was too late, and Ross went to Tanzania instead.<ref name=":1" /> He was the US Ambassador to Tanzania until 1972. |
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After his tour as US Ambassador to Tanzania came to an end, Ross returned to Washington and was promoted to Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. During his time in this position, the big problem for the [[Bureau of African Affairs]] was [[Idi Amin]], the brutal dictator of [[Uganda]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> They made the decision to pull the American Ambassador out of Uganda during Amin's rule. |
After his tour as US Ambassador to Tanzania came to an end, Ross returned to Washington and was promoted to Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. During his time in this position, the big problem for the [[Bureau of African Affairs]] was [[Idi Amin]], the brutal dictator of [[Uganda]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> They made the decision to pull the American Ambassador out of Uganda during Amin's rule. |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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<references /> |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Claude G.}} |
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[[Category:1917 births]] |
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[[Category:2006 deaths]] |
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[[Category:20th-century American diplomats]] |
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[[Category:University of Southern California alumni]] |
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[[Category:National War College alumni]] |
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[[Category:People from Chicago]] |
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[[Category:United States Foreign Service personnel]] |
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[[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Tanzania]] |
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[[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to the Central African Republic]] |
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[[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Haiti]] |
Revision as of 13:22, 28 June 2024
Claude G. Ross | |
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US Ambassador to the Central African Republic | |
In office August 1, 1963 – April 22, 1967 | |
President | John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson |
Preceded by | John H. Burns |
Succeeded by | Geoffrey W. Lewis |
US Ambassador to Haiti | |
In office April 19, 1967 – October 17, 1969 | |
President | Lyndon B. Johnson |
Preceded by | Benson E.L. Timmons III |
Succeeded by | Clinton E. Knox |
US Ambassador to Tanzania | |
In office October 9, 1969 – June 25, 1972 | |
President | Richard Nixon |
Preceded by | John H. Burns |
Succeeded by | W. Beverly Carter, Jr. |
Personal details | |
Born | October 26, 1917 |
Died | January 18, 2006 (aged 88) |
Education | Huntington Park High School University of Southern California National War College |
Claude Gordon[1] Anthony "Tony" Ross (October 26, 1917 - January 18, 2006) was an American diplomat. He served as the US Ambassador to the Central African Republic, Haiti, and Tanzania.
Early life and education
Ross was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1917 to Grace Faulkner and Claude Ross. The family moved to southern California when Ross was an infant.[2] Ross' interest in the foreign service started young. He was fascinated with geography from a young age and collected foreign stamps.[3]
He graduated from Huntington Park High School and received a scholarship to the University of Southern California (USC).[2] While attending USC, he worked for the Los Angeles Daily Newspaper from 1934-1935.[4] Ross graduated summa cum laude from USC in 1939 with a bachelor's degree in International Relations. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.[5] The School of International Relations at USC was headed by Claude A. Buss, an ex-Foreign Service Officer (FSO). Ross was the first graduate of the program to become a US Ambassador.[6]
Ross married Antigone Andrea Peterson in 1940 and they had two children: Christopher W. S. Ross and Geoffrey Faulkner Ross. Ross learned Greek to marry his wife, a prerequisite of his father-in-law.[2]
Ross was proficient in four different languages: French, Spanish, Greek, and German.[7] He passed his skills in language on to his son, Christopher W. S. Ross, who also served as an ambassador; Christopher Ross was renowned as the most fluent non-native Arabic speaker in the Foreign Service during his career.[8]
Foreign Service career
Ross joined the Foreign Service in 1940. He took the examination in French, Spanish, and German, getting a perfect score in all three. However, he failed the physical examination the first time and was forced to retake it a few months later.[3] After becoming an FSO, Ross worked in Mexico City, Quito, Athens, Noumea, Beirut, Cairo, and Conkary.[7] He attended the National War College from 1956-1957.[2]
Ross was appointed the second US Ambassador to the Central African Republic (CAR) by John F. Kennedy in 1963. During Ross' time in the CAR, the country was legally independent of France but France remained deeply entrenched in the CAR's government and foreign policy.[3] In 1966, there was a brief coup d'état which broke the CAR's relations with communist China.[3][6]
A year after the coup, Ross was nominated to the ambassadorship in Haiti by Lyndon B. Johnson. Haiti's president and an infamous despot, François Duvalier or Papa Doc, reported liked Ross despite his orders to maintain "correct but cool relations."[3]
In 1969, Ross received a call from John H Burns, the US Ambassador to Tanzania, asking him if he wanted the job. Ross preferred a position in Latin America, but reluctantly agreed. A few months later, an informal offer came for the ambassadorship to Venezuela, but by then it was too late, and Ross went to Tanzania instead.[3] He was the US Ambassador to Tanzania until 1972.
After his tour as US Ambassador to Tanzania came to an end, Ross returned to Washington and was promoted to Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. During his time in this position, the big problem for the Bureau of African Affairs was Idi Amin, the brutal dictator of Uganda.[3][6] They made the decision to pull the American Ambassador out of Uganda during Amin's rule.
Ross retired from the Foreign Service in 1974 but continued to work for the State Department as a senior inspector of embassies for twelve years.[7][3]
Retirement
In retirement, Ross remained involved in the foreign service community. He was chairman of the Committee on Education of the American Foreign Service Association and served as the President and Honorary Governor of Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired (DACOR).[9] From DACOR, Ross received the Foreign Service Cup, an award for outstanding retirees, in 1986.[7] He also volunteered with Sister Cities International.[10] Ross died in 2006 of pneumonia in Washington D.C.[2] After his death, DACOR awarded Ross with its Award for Exceptional Contributions.[6]
References
- ^ Sometimes reported as Claude George Anthony Ross
- ^ a b c d e Archives, L. A. Times (2006-02-15). "Claude Gordon Ross, 88; U.S. Diplomat Served in Africa, State Dept". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Tobert, Horace G. (1989-02-16). Interview with Claude G. Ross. Washington D.C.: The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training.
- ^ "Ross New Ambassador to CAR". State Department Newsletter (28): 34. 1963-08-01 – via Hathitrust.
- ^ "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Ross". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ a b c d "A Life in Service". News and Events. 2006-03-02. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ a b c d "Former Ambassador Claude G. Ross, 88". Washington Post. 2024-01-31. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2017-08-27. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ Fiore, Faye (2001-11-19). "The War of Arabic Words Is Former U.S. Diplomat's Arena". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2024-06-28. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ "Claude Ross Obituary (2006) - Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ "Claude Ross Obituary (2006) - Washington, DC - The Washington Post". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- 1917 births
- 2006 deaths
- 20th-century American diplomats
- University of Southern California alumni
- National War College alumni
- People from Chicago
- United States Foreign Service personnel
- Ambassadors of the United States to Tanzania
- Ambassadors of the United States to the Central African Republic
- Ambassadors of the United States to Haiti