John Cooper Wiley

John Cooper Wiley (September 26, 1893 – February 3, 1967)^[1] was a United States Foreign Service officer and ambassador.

John Cooper Wiley
John Cooper Wiley in 1936
United States Ambassador to Latvia
In office July 18, 1938 – June 17, 1940
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	Frederick A. Sterling
Succeeded by	Earl L. Packer as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim
United States Ambassador to Colombia
In office December 16, 1944 – May 3, 1947
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry Truman
Preceded by	Arthur Bliss Lane
Succeeded by	Willard L. Beaulac
United States Ambassador to Portugal
In office April 10, 1947 – March 15, 1948
President	Harry Truman
Preceded by	Herman B. Baruch
Succeeded by	Lincoln MacVeagh
United States Ambassador to Iran
In office 1948–1950
President	Harry Truman
Preceded by	George V. Allen
Succeeded by	Henry F. Grady
United States Ambassador to Panama
In office July 25, 1951 – November 27, 1953
President	Harry Truman Dwight Eisenhower
Preceded by	Monnett Bain Davis
Succeeded by	Selden Chapin
Personal details
Born	(1893-09-26)September 26, 1893 Bordeaux, France
Died	February 3, 1967(1967-02-03) (aged 73) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Spouse	Irena Monique Baruch
Profession	Diplomat

Career

Wiley was born in Bordeaux, France, while his father served there as U.S. Consul.^[2] He was educated by tutors and studied at Union College, Columbia Law School, and Georgetown University Law Center. While at Union College, he joined the Theta chapter of the Psi Upsilon fraternity.

He entered the United States Foreign Service in 1915 and served in several positions in Europe and South America.^[3] Wiley was a Counselor of Embassy in Moscow in 1934. From 1935 to 1937, he served as the Consul General at Antwerp.^[2] In 1938, he was the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in Austria, the Envoy Extraordinary, and the Minister Plenipotentiary to Latvia and Estonia (the last ambassador before the Soviet occupation in 1940). After World War II, Wiley headed the negotiations with the Soviet Union to liquidate lend-lease accounts that allowed the US to provide arms for the Allied Powers.^[2] He went on to receive appointments as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Colombia, Portugal, Iran, and Panama.^[1] While he was the ambassador to Portugal, Wiley negotiated the acquisition of US naval and air stations in the Azores.^[2]

Retirement

Wiley's grave (second from right) at Crown Hill Cemetery

He retired in 1953 and resided in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C. He died in Washington on February 3, 1967. He was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.

Family

He was the son of Congressman John M. Wiley and the grandson of John J. Cooper, who served as Indiana State Treasurer. John Cooper Wiley was married to Irena Monique Baruch (1906-1972), a well-known sculptor and portrait painter.