US Diplomat. Born Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke, he graduated from Brown University in 1962, entered the Foreign Service, and served in South Vietnam for more than six years. In 1968 he was part of the US delegation to the 1968 Paris peace talks held to negotiate an end to the Vietnam War. After serving in Morocco for two years he became Managing Editor of "Foreign Policy" magazine, where he worked from 1972 to 1976, also working as a contributing editor to "Newsweek International" magazine. After serving as a foreign policy advisor to Jimmy Carter's 1976 presidential campaign, Holbrooke was named Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, where he served until 1981. After working in the private sector during the Reagan and Bush administrations and advising Al Gore during his 1988 presidential campaign, in 1992 Holbrooke was selected as President Clinton's Ambassador to Germany, serving until 1994, when he became Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs, a position he held until 1996. In this post Holbrooke worked to enlarge NATO by admitting former Eastern Bloc nations and led the team charged with resolving the Balkans crisis, which concluded with his successful negotiation of the Dayton Peace Accords. In 1999 Holbrooke was named United Nations Ambassador, where he served until 2001. From 2009 until his death Holbrooke was President Obama's Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan. He died at George Washington University Hospital as the result of complications from a torn aorta.
US Diplomat. Born Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke, he graduated from Brown University in 1962, entered the Foreign Service, and served in South Vietnam for more than six years. In 1968 he was part of the US delegation to the 1968 Paris peace talks held to negotiate an end to the Vietnam War. After serving in Morocco for two years he became Managing Editor of "Foreign Policy" magazine, where he worked from 1972 to 1976, also working as a contributing editor to "Newsweek International" magazine. After serving as a foreign policy advisor to Jimmy Carter's 1976 presidential campaign, Holbrooke was named Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, where he served until 1981. After working in the private sector during the Reagan and Bush administrations and advising Al Gore during his 1988 presidential campaign, in 1992 Holbrooke was selected as President Clinton's Ambassador to Germany, serving until 1994, when he became Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs, a position he held until 1996. In this post Holbrooke worked to enlarge NATO by admitting former Eastern Bloc nations and led the team charged with resolving the Balkans crisis, which concluded with his successful negotiation of the Dayton Peace Accords. In 1999 Holbrooke was named United Nations Ambassador, where he served until 2001. From 2009 until his death Holbrooke was President Obama's Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan. He died at George Washington University Hospital as the result of complications from a torn aorta.
Bio by: Bill McKern
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