[Diplomat] Biographies & Profiles
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović is the first woman to be elected President of Croatia since its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. At 46 years old, Grabar-Kitarovic was also the youngest person to assume the position. She held a number of governmental and diplomatic posts prior to becoming president and is a recipient of a number of national and international awards. As president, she launched the Three Seas Initiative in 2015 and was listed as one of the world's most powerful women in 2017 by Forbes magazine. In 2020, she was elected Croatia's representative in the International Olympic Committee.
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German former racing driver who competed in Formula One for Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari, and Mercedes, and holds the records for the most World Drivers' Championship titles (jointly) as well as wins, pole positions, podium finishes, and fastest laps. He began his career in karting and moved on to junior single-seater series before making a one-off appearance with Jordan in 1991 at the Belgian Grand Prix. He won his first two drivers' titles consecutively with Benetton in 1994 and 1995, and went on to achieve unprecedented success with Ferrari by winning five consecutive titles from 2000 to 2004. After retiring in 2006, he made a brief return with Mercedes from 2010 to 2012 before suffering a severe brain injury in a skiing accident in 2013. Schumacher was noted for pushing his car to its limits and has donated substantial amounts of money to charity.
Robert Smith (Cabinet member)
Robert Smith was an American politician. He served as the second United States Secretary of the Navy from 1801 to 1809 and the sixth United States Secretary of State from 1809 to 1811. He was the brother of Senator Samuel Smith.
Dan Rooney
Daniel Milton Rooney was a highly influential American sports executive and diplomat. He was the president, owner and chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a National Football League (NFL) team, and was instrumental in the team's success- winning 15 division championships, eight AFC championships and a record six Super Bowl championships. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 for his contributions to the game. In addition, he proposed the "Rooney Rule", requiring NFL teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and general manager vacancies. Rooney was also the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland from 2009 to 2012 and a co-founder of The Ireland Funds.
Joseph E. Davies
Joseph Edward Davies was an American lawyer and diplomat who served under Presidents Wilson, Roosevelt and Truman. In 1912, he was appointed Commissioner of Corporations, then in 1915 as the first Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. During WW2 he was Special Assistant to Secretary of State Hull and Chairman of President Roosevelt's War Relief Control Board. He was also Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Belgium, and Luxembourg and Special Advisor of President Truman and Secretary of State Byrnes at the Potsdam Conference in 1945.
Charles Wade
Sir Charles Gregory Wade was a prominent politician and judge in New South Wales, Australia. He was Premier from 1907 to 1910 and was widely respected for his public-spiritedness and moral courage. Wade's ability and honesty were quickly recognized and he was always prominent in politics. He held the role of opposition leader or in office for almost 14 years. He was also a judge for a brief period and was known for his fairness and attention to detail.
Edgardo Sogno
Count Edgardo Pietro Andrea Sogno Rata del Vallino di Ponzone (1914-1994) was an Italian diplomat, partisan and political figure. He was born in an aristocratic family from Piedmont. He went to university in Genoa and after graduating, joined the diplomatic service. He was sent to East Africa during the Second World War and was held in several different prisoner camps until 1945. After the war, he was appointed to several important diplomatic roles and also joined the Italian Resistance movement, helping to overthrow the fascist regime. In his political career, he served as the mayor of Turin, Senator of the Republic, member of European Parliament and President of the Constitutional Court. His legacy is remembered for his hard work for democracy in Italy.
Douglas MacArthur II
Douglas MacArthur II was an American diplomat. During his diplomatic career, he served as United States ambassador to Japan, Belgium, Austria, and Iran, as well as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs. He was the nephew of the famous U.S. general Douglas MacArthur.
Llewellyn Thompson
Llewellyn E. "Tommy" Thompson Jr. was a highly influential American diplomat who played a key role in some of the most significant events of the Cold War. As an advisor to President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis, he had a profound effect on US policy towards the Soviet Union. His diplomatic career spanned Austria, Sri Lanka, and the Soviet Union, and in 2019 he was described as the most influential figure who ever advised US presidents throughout the Cold War.
Andrés Eloy Blanco
Andrés Eloy Blanco was a poet and a Venezuelan politician born in 1878. He was part of the Generación del 28 and one of the founders of the Acción Democrática party. Blanco was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs for a brief period of time in 1948. He was known for his patriotism and works of poetry praising Venezuelan culture and folklore. His works are considered national treasures and have been translated into other languages. Blanco died in 1955 and remains remembered in Venezuela for being one of the most important figures in its history.
Mikhail Tereshchenko
Mikhail Ivanovich Tereshchenko was a major Ukrainian landowner and financier. He was the foreign minister of Russia from 18 May 1917 to 7 November 1917. During this time he was involved in the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Tereshchenko also owned several sugar factories and had a considerable amount of wealth. As foreign minister, he sought to find a peaceful resolution to the war but was ultimately replaced by Leon Trotsky. Tereshchenko was a vocal critic of the Bolshevik movement and was briefly exiled to France after the October Revolution in 1917. He died in 1920 in Paris and is remembered for his efforts to bring peace to Russia.
Julio Mario Santo Domingo
Julio Mario Santo Domingo Pumarejo was a billionaire businessman, diplomat, and patriarch of the Santo Domingo family. He had a diversified portfolio of over 100 companies, making him one of the wealthiest men in the world, with a fortune of US$8 billion. He also founded a philanthropic foundation honoring his father, aimed at helping Colombia's social development. He lived in New York City and was second-wealthiest in Colombia.
Wilfred Thesiger
Sir Wilfred Patrick Thesiger was a British military officer, explorer and writer who was also known as Mubarak bin Landan. He wrote extensively about his journeys, particularly those in the Arabian Peninsula and in Iraq, in his acclaimed books 'Arabian Sands' and 'The Marsh Arabs', which documented his experiences travelling over the Empty Quarter of the Arabian Peninsula and living with the Marsh Arabs respectively.
Martin Charteris, Baron Charteris of Amisfield
Charteris was born in London and educated at Eton College. He was commissioned into the Scots Guards in 1938, and saw active service in the Second World War. After the war, he served with the Household Division and was Assistant Private Secretary to the Sovereign from 1958 to 1972, before becoming Private Secretary to the Sovereign from 1972 to 1977. After his retirement from the Army in 1977, he was appointed Extra Equerry and Extra Assistant Private Secretary to the Sovereign. He remained in that role until his death in 1999.
