William A. Crawford | |
---|---|
1st United States Ambassador to Romania | |
In office December 24, 1964 – October 10, 1965 | |
President | Lyndon B. Johnson |
Preceded by | Himself as Minister |
Succeeded by | Richard H. Davis |
23rd United States Minister to Romania | |
In office February 10, 1962 – December 24, 1964 | |
President |
John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson |
Preceded by | Clifton Reginald Wharton Sr. |
Succeeded by | Himself as Ambassador |
Personal details | |
Born | New York City, New York, U.S. | January 14, 1915
Died | December 14, 2001 Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. | (aged 86)
Spouse(s) |
Barbara Gardner
(
m. 1940; died 1979)Gudrun Hadell |
Children | 5 |
Education | Haverford College ( BA) |
Occupation | Diplomat |
William Avery Crawford (January 14, 1915 – December 14, 2001) was an American diplomat who served as the last Minister and first United States Ambassador to Romania, from 1962 to 1965. [1]
Crawford was born on January 14, 1915; [2] the son of John Raymond Crawford, a professor of Greek and Latin at Lafayette College, and Pauline Avery. [3]
Educated abroad in France, he studied at Haverford College, and went abroad to Spain during the Spanish Civil War. [4] He graduated in 1936 with a Bachelor of Arts. He later studied at the Russian Institute, now known as the Harriman Institute, at Columbia University. [1]
After graduation, Crawford worked at a department store before joining the diplomatic corps.
Crawford joined the United States Foreign Service in 1941, serving in Moscow, Paris, Havana, and Prague. [5] Although subjected to a loyalty investigation under Executive Order 9835 in 1951, [6] he passed, [6] and continued his work in the Foreign Service. He was chosen to be Minister in October 1961. [7]
In February 1962, he presented his credentials as Minister, serving until the post was upgraded to Ambassador in 1964. [8] During this time, he helped to support Romania-United States relations in the fields of trade and cultural exchange. [9]
He and his wife, Barbara, founded the American International School of Bucharest in 1962. [5]
Crawford left his post in October 1965.
After Romania, Crawford was an assistant to Lyman Lemnitzer, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, from 1965 to 1967. [1] He retired from the Foreign Service in 1970. [5]
He then taught at the Landon School, worked at a marketing company, [5] finished his memoirs, and contributed to a biography on his mother. [10]
Crawford was married twice: first to Barbara Gardner, from October 19, 1940, [11] till her death in September 1979; [12] and then to Gudrun Hadell. [1]
From his first marriage, he had five children: three sons and two daughters. [10]
Crawford died at his home on December 14, 2001, at age 86. He was survived by his children and his second wife. [5]