Richard W. Cottam (1924–1997) was an American political scientist, Iranist and a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative in Iran.[citation needed]

Richard Cottam
Born1 October 1924
Died29 August 1997(1997-08-29) (aged 72)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
NationalityAmerican
Other namesDick Cottam
Alma materUniversity of Utah
Harvard University
SpousePatricia Cottam
Children2 daughters and 2 sons
Espionage activity
CountryUnited States
AgencyCentral Intelligence Agency
Service years1953–1958
Military career
Service / branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1941–1948
Battles / warsWorld War II
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Pittsburgh
ThesisIran: A Case Study of Nationalism (1954)
Doctoral advisorRupert Emerson
Other academic advisorsRichard N. Frye

Cottam was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a mission for the Church. He was in the United States Navy during World War II.

References

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  • Akhavi, Shahrough (1997), "In Memoriam: Richard Cottam" (PDF), MESA Bulletin, 31 (2), Middle East Studies Association: 203–205, doi:10.1017/S0026318400035987, JSTOR 23061466
  • Gasiorowski, Mark J. (1997), "Obituaries: Richard W. Cottam (1924-1997)", Iranian Studies, 30 (3/4), International Society for Iranian Studies: 415–417, doi:10.1017/S002108620001183X, JSTOR 4311109, S2CID 245661724
  • Siavoshi, Susan (15 August 2006), "COTTAM, Richard", Encyclopædia Iranica (Online ed.), ISSN 2330-4804