The New Ambassadors Extraordinary
In 1923, the first woman U.S. ambassador was 26 years away. So a 1923 New York Times Magazine article about ambassadors still asked: "What kind of a man ought he to be?"
An American ambassador at the Court of St. James's, Colonel George Harvey ceases to be it. The place has been reserved for Frank B. Kellogg, until recently a senator for Minnesota. And by a coincidence, the absence of Sir Auckland Geddes, with reports of his imperfect eyesight, has given rise to a rumor that Britain also may be considering a change in her representation at Washington.
The time has come when, indeed, the world has to face afresh what is meant in these days by a diplomatic mission. What are the functions of an ambassador? What kind of a man ought he to be?
In 1949, President Harry Truman would nominate Helen Eugenie Moore Anderson as ambassador to Denmark. The Senate confirmed her.
Later in 1962, President John F. Kennedy would appoint her as minister to Bulgaria, and in 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson would appoint her a member of the U.S. delegation at the United Nations.
Currently, some of the most prominent women U.S. ambassadors include:
Caroline Kennedy, daughter of JFK, for Australia
Michelle Kwan, former Olympic medalist in ice skating, for Belize
Amy Gutmann, former president of the Ivy League's University of Pennsylvania, for Germany
Meg Whitman, former CEO of both eBay and Hewlett-Packard, for Kenya
Lynne M. Tracy for Russia, during a period where that country has certainly been in the news
Bridget A. Brink for Ukraine, during a period where that country has also certainly been in the news
The New Ambassadors Extraordinary
Published: Sunday, November 11, 1923