Ellis O. Briggs

Ellis Ormsbee Briggs (December 1, 1899 – February 21, 1976) was an American diplomat who served as Ambassador to seven countries over the course of his career.[1]

Ellis O. Briggs
US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic
In office
April 17, 1943 – April 22, 1944
Preceded byAvra M. Warren
Succeeded byJoseph F. McGurk
US Ambassador to Uruguay
In office
August 21, 1947 – August 6, 1949
Preceded byJoseph F. McGurk
Succeeded byChristian M. Ravndal
US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia
In office
October 8, 1952 – October 30, 1953
Preceded byJoseph E. Jacobs
Succeeded byGeorge Wadsworth
US Ambassador to South Korea
In office
August 25, 1952 – April 12, 1955
Preceded byJohn J. Muccio
Succeeded byWilliam S. B. Lacy
US Ambassador to Peru
In office
March 24, 1952 – June 5, 1956
Preceded byHarold H. Tittmann Jr.
Succeeded byTheodore C. Achilles
US Ambassador to Brazil
In office
July 24, 1956 – April 29, 1959
Preceded byJames Clement Dunn
Succeeded byJohn M. Cabot
US Ambassador to Greece
In office
April 8, 1959 – February 1, 1962
Preceded byJames Williams Riddleberger
Succeeded byHenry Richardson Labouisse, Jr.

Early life and family

Briggs was born in Massachusetts to James Briggs and Lucy Hill Briggs, and was educated at Dartmouth College, graduating in 1921. He married Lucy Barnard in 1928. They had two children; Lucy in 1930, and Everett (who also went on to a career as an American diplomat[2]) in 1934.[3]

Diplomatic career
Position
(All with the U.S. State Department)		Date appointedPeriod of serviceCommentsReference
Vice Consul to the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru1926–1928[3]
Third Secretary to the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru1928–1933[3]
Third Secretary to the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba1933–1937[2][3]
Assistant Chief, Division of American Republics1937–1940[3]
Special Mission to the East Coast of South America1940[3]
Consul-First Secretary, U.S. Embassy in Santiago, Chile1940–1941[3]
First Secretary to the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba1941–1944[3]
Chief, Division of Caribbean and Central American Affairs1944[3]
United States Ambassador to the Dominican RepublicMarch 21, 1944June 3, 1944 – January 14, 1945[4]
Economic Counselor, Chungking1945[3]
Director, Office of American Republic Affairs1945–1947[3]
United States Ambassador to UruguayJuly 3, 1947August 21, 1947–August 6, 1949[4]
United States Ambassador to CzechoslovakiaSeptember 1, 1949November 8, 1949–August 27, 1952[4]
United States Ambassador to South KoreaAugust 25, 1952November 25, 1952–April 12, 1955Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on July 28, 1953, after confirmation.[4]
United States Ambassador to PeruMarch 24, 1955March 27, 1955 – June 5, 1956[4]
United States Ambassador to BrazilMay 29, 1956July 24, 1956–May 2, 1959[4]
United States Ambassador to GreeceApril 8, 1959July 15, 1959–February 1, 1962[4]
Career AmbassadorJune 24, 1960N/A[4]
United States Ambassador to SpainN/AN/ANot commissioned; nomination withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it.[4]

Retirement and publications

President John F. Kennedy nominated Briggs for the post of U.S. Ambassador to Spain. However, due to illness, Briggs was not able to accept the post, and retired from the State Department in 1962.[5]

Briggs was the author of several memoirs and other works, including:

  • Shots Heard Round the World: An Ambassador's Hunting Adventures on Four Continents, a memoir written in 1957, while still with the State Department
  • Farewell to Foggy Bottom: The Recollections of a Career Diplomat, another memoir, this one written in 1964, after his retirement
  • Anatomy of Diplomacy: The Origin and Execution of American Foreign Policy, a 1968 book on international affairs
  • Proud Servant: Memoirs of a Career Ambassador, another memoir, this one published posthumously in 1998

He died in 1976 in Gainesville, Georgia.

References
  1. "Examples of Excellence: Ellis O. Briggs (1899-1976)". U.S. Diplomacy: An Online Exploration of Diplomatic History and Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  2. "Career diplomat was literally born to be a U.S. ambassador". New London, Connecticut: The Day. 25 September 1984. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  3. "Ellis O. Briggs". NNDB. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  4. "Ellis Ormsbee Briggs (1899–1976)". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  5. "Examples of Excellence: Ellis O. Briggs (1899-1976)". U.S. Diplomacy: An Online Exploration of Diplomatic History and Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 8 February 2016.


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