Phillips Talbot

William Phillips Talbot (June 7, 1915 – October 1, 2010) was a United States Ambassador to Greece (1965–69) and, at his death, member of the American Academy of Diplomacy, the Council of American Ambassadors and the Council on Foreign Relations.^[1][2]

Phillips Talbot
United States Ambassador to Greece
In office 1965–1969
President	Lyndon B. Johnson
Preceded by	Henry Labouisse
Succeeded by	Henry J. Tasca
6th Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs
In office 1961–1964
President	John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson
Preceded by	G. Lewis Jones
Succeeded by	Raymond A. Hare
Personal details
Born	(1915-06-07)June 7, 1915 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died	October 1, 2010(2010-10-01) (aged 95) Washington, D.C.
Alma mater	University of Illinois

Early life

Talbot was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and served in the United States Navy during World War II.^[3]

Career

Journalism

After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1936, Talbot started as a reporter for the Chicago Daily News, where he remained from 1936 to 1938. In 1939, having been turned down for a foreign correspondent position, he left the Chicago Daily News to take a position with the Institute of Current World Affairs in India where he reported on the Indian independence movement.^[4] The Phillips Talbot Fellowship was named in his honor and is awarded yearly by the Institute to promising young journalists.^[5]

Politics

Phillips Talbot, United States Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian affairs, meeting Israel's PM David Ben-Gurion in Jerusalem

Talbot was the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian affairs from 1961-65 during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.^[6]

Talbot served as President of Asia Society from 1970-1982 and was awarded the Padma Shri in March 2002^[7] for his efforts in fomenting peace between India and America during his tenure as President.^[8]