Ronald I. Spiers

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For other persons named Ronald Speirs, see Ronald Speirs (disambiguation).
Ronald I. Spiers
Ronald I. Spiers
In office
September 7, 1973 – September 2, 1974
President Richard Nixon
Preceded by Moncrieff J. Spear
Succeeded by Seymour Weiss
In office
May 26, 1977 – January 11, 1980
In office
1981 – 1983
Born July 9, 1925 (1925-07-09) (age 82)
Orange, New Jersey
Spouse Patience Baker

Ronald Ian “Ron” Spiers (born July 9, 1925) was a former career diplomat and United States Ambassador.

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[edit] Early life and military career

Spiers was born in Orange, New Jersey, but grew up in Peru, London, Paris and Brussels. During World War II, he served as an ensign in the United States Navy in the war's Pacific theater. He later became the commanding officer of an amphibious landing craft.

After returning to the United States, Spiers attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1948 with a bachelor's degree. He also attended the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, earning his Master of Public Affairs degree in 1950.

[edit] Government service

After graduating from Princeton, Spiers became a foreign affairs specialist with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, serving until 1954. In that year, he began his career with the U.S. Foreign Service, in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs.

During his career with the State Department, Spiers worked at many positions, often involving arms control. He served at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations (in Geneva) as a negotiator for the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and also was a U.S. negotiator in a series of arms negotiations with the Soviet Union, including the Partial Test Ban Treaty, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, First Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

In 1964, Spiers became director of NATO Affairs, serving until 1966, when he became the Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy to the United Kingdom. From 1969 to 1973, he was Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs. From 1973 to 1974, Spiers was the U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas. He later returned to London as the Deputy Chief of Mission, holding this post until 1977. On May 26, 1977, Spiers became the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, staying until January 11,1980, before being appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research. He was ambassador to Pakistan from 1981 to 1983.

On August 4, 1983, President Ronald Reagan nominated Spiers to be Undersecretary of State for Management. He served in this position until 1989, when President George H. W. Bush nominated him to be Undersecretary General of the United Nations for Political Affairs. After being appointed to the position by UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Spiers became the highest-ranking American in the Secretariat.

Spiers retired from government service in March 1992 with two Presidential Distinguished Executive Service Awards and the rank of Career Ambassador, accorded to him by President Reagan and the U.S. Senate in 1984.

[edit] Life after government service

In 2004, Spiers again returned to the public eye when he joined Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change, a group of former diplomats, ambassadors, and military leaders criticizing the foreign policy of President George W. Bush and supporting the election of John Kerry in the 2004 U.S. presidential election.

Spiers now lives in South Londonderry, Vermont, where he writes and lectures on foreign affairs,serves as Trustee of Public Funds. He is married and lives with his wife, Patience. He has four children. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Academy of Diplomacy, the National Academy of Public Administration, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

[edit] Works

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Moncrieff J. Spear
as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim 		 United States Ambassador to the Bahamas
September 7, 1973–September 2, 1974		 Succeeded by
Seymour Weiss