Ridgway Brewster Knight (June 12, 1911 – August 14, 2001) was a French-born American diplomat who served as Ambassador to Syria (1961–1965), Belgium (1965–1969) and Portugal (1969–1973).[1][2][3]
Ridgway B. Knight | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Ambassador to Portugal | |
| In office July 30, 1969 – February 24, 1973 | |
| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | W. Tapley Bennett Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Stuart Nash Scott |
| 44th United States Ambassador to Belgium | |
| In office June 24, 1965 – April 16, 1969 | |
| President | Lyndon B. Johnson Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Douglas MacArthur II |
| Succeeded by | John Eisenhower |
| United States Ambassador to Syria | |
| In office January 11, 1962 – May 27, 1965 | |
| President | John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Hugh H. Smythe |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ridgway Brewster Knight June 12, 1911 Paris, France |
| Died | August 14, 2001 (aged 90) Inxent, France |
| Profession | Diplomat |
Early life and career
editThe son of American parents living in Paris (painter Louis Aston Knight and Caroline Ridgeway Brewster), he attended the University of Paris as well as Harvard University.[2] He graduated from Harvard Business School in 1931.[4]
Following his studies, Knight began importing French wine to the US. He also served as a Major in the US Army from 1943-1945.
Knight joined the State Department in 1941.[2] He was vice consul in Casablanca, and in 1942 took part in organizing the US landing in Algeria.[4][5] Knight served as U.S. ambassador to several countries, and later served as president of the American Club of Paris (1984–1989).[4] From 1973 to 1981, he worked for Chase Manhattan Bank .[5]
Personal life and death
editKnight married Christine Saint-Léger at Inxent on February 19, 1983. His grandson, Ridgway B. Knight 3rd, married Patricia Wachtell on May 30, 1987.[6] He died in Inxent, at the age of 90.[1][5]
References
edit- ^ a b "Knight, Ridgway Brewster (1911-2001)". Political Graveyard. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
- ^ a b c "Envoys Selected for Belgium, Ivory Coast, The Gambia". State Department Newsletter: 33. May 1965 – via Hathitrust.
- ^ "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR RIDGWAY B. KNIGHT" (PDF). Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. 23 October 1993. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ a b c "OBITUARY : Ridgway Brewster Knight, 90". International Herald Tribune. 2001-08-18. Retrieved 2008-12-30. [dead link]
- ^ a b c "Longtime Ambassador Ridgway Knight Dies". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Patricia Wachtell, Bank Executive, Is Married to Ridgway B. Knight 3d". The New York Times. May 31, 1987.
Sources
edit- "Belgium". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
- "Portugal". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
- "Syria". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
- "AMBASSADOR RIDGWAY B. KNIGHT", The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training
- The John F. Kennedy National Security Files, 1961–1963