William Dawson (diplomat)

William Dawson, Jr.
United States Ambassador to Panama
In office July 14, 1939 – April 21, 1941
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	Frank P. Corrigan
Succeeded by	Edwin C. Wilson
United States Ambassador to Uruguay
In office 12 July 1941 – 6 August 1946
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman
Preceded by	Edwin C. Wilson
Succeeded by	Joseph F. McGurk
Personal details
Born	August 11, 1885 Saint Paul, Minnesota
Died	July 3, 1972 (aged 86) Blue Hill, Maine
Resting place	Washington, D.C.
Nationality	American
Spouse(s)	Agnes Balloch Bready
Alma mater	University of Minnesota Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques
Religion	Episcopalian

Wiliam Dawson, Jr. (August 11, 1885 – July 3, 1972) was a career United States diplomat. He was U.S. ambassador to multiple countries, including being the first ambassador to the Organization of American States.

He was born at Saint Paul, Minnesota, on 11 August 1885, the son of William Dawson and Maria Rice. After graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1906, he attended the Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques in Paris and soon after entered the United States Foreign Service.

His first posting was to St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1908. He served as vice and deputy consul-general to Barcelona, Spain, and Frankfurt, Germany; and consul at Rosario, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; Danzig, Poland; and Munich, Germany.

Dawson was consul-general at large from 1922 to 1924 and served as chief instructor at the Department of State's Foreign Service School from 1925 to 1928. He married Agnes Balloch Bready on 8 June 1926.

He served in Mexico as consul-general; was U.S. Minister to Ecuador, Colombia and Uruguay; and U.S. ambassador to Panama and Uruguay during his long career.

After retiring in 1946 he served as advisor on Latin American affairs to the U.S. delegation during the formation of the United Nations, went to Brazil on a special mission with General George Marshall and became the first U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States.

He died on 3 July 1972 at the Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, in Blue Hill, Maine. Following a private funeral service he was buried later at Washington, D.C.

References

• This article incorporates facts obtained from: Lawrence Kestenbaum, The Political Graveyard
• "Ecuador" (List of Ambassadors to Ecuador). United States Department of State. 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
• "Uruguay" (List of Chiefs of Mission to Uruguay). United States Department of State. 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
• "Panama" (List of Ambassadors to Panama). United States Department of State. 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-27.