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Joseph C. Satterthwaite

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Joseph C. Satterthwaite
Middle aged, clean-shaven man with tousled dark hair, round spectacles and a suit
11th United States Ambassador to South Africa
In office
May 22, 1961 – November 17, 1965
PresidentJohn F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Preceded byPhilip K. Crowe
Succeeded byWilliam M. Rountree
1st Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
In office
September 2, 1958 – January 31, 1961
PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byG. Mennen Williams
United States Consul General to Morocco
In office
September 8, 1953 – May 1, 1955
PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded byJohn Carter Vincent
Succeeded byJulius C. Holmes
2nd United States Ambassador to Ceylon
In office
November 19, 1949 – July 25, 1953
PresidentHarry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded byFelix Cole
Succeeded byMaxwell Henry Gluck
6th Director General of the Foreign Service
In office
May 6, 1957 – September 1, 1958
Preceded byRaymond A. Hare
Succeeded byWaldemar J. Gallman
Personal details
Born
Joseph Charles Satterthwaite

(1900-03-14)March 14, 1900
Tecumseh, Michigan
DiedNovember 19, 1990(1990-11-19) (aged 90)
Washington, D.C.
Alma materUniversity of Michigan (B.A., M.A.)
OccupationDiplomat

Joseph Charles Satterthwaite (March 14, 1900 – November 19, 1990) was an American career diplomat.

Biography

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Early life and positions

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Sattherwaite was born in Tecumseh, Michigan on March 14, 1900. His family had first moved to that state in 1831.[1] He attended the University of Michigan, earning a B.A. degree in 1923 and a M.A. degree in 1924. His first job with the US Foreign Service was as a clerk in the Stuttgart consulate in 1926. From there, appointments followed in Guadalajara, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Baghdad, Ankara and Damascus.[2] As part of a State Department special diplomatic mission, Satterthwaite presented a letter from President Harry S. Truman to King Tribhuvan, recognizing Nepal's independence, on April 21 1947.[3] This task proved difficult, as foreigners could only enter with consent of the Prime Minister, and the group had to travel by rail, road, pack train and sedan chair.[4]

Increasing seniority

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Satterthwaite served as United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka from 1949 to 1952, Head of the U.S. Legation at Tangier from 1953 to 1955, and as United States Ambassador to Burma from April 1955 to April 1957. For a brief period between May 6, 1957, and September 1, 1958, he was Director General of the Foreign Service.[5] He then served as the first Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs between 1958 and 1961. One of his duties in that role was hosting an African Regional Conference from June 9–11, 1959 in Lourenco Marques (now Maputo).[6]

South Africa and later career

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Sattherwaite was reappointed as an ambassador, this time to South Africa, from 1961 to 1965.[7] Following the Sharpeville massacre, President John F. Kennedy's administration was taking a renewed look at the country. Satterthwaite later recalled that Kennedy had told him "You can tell the prime minister of South Africa that I'm not sending you out there to point your finger at them, (the South Africans) but that they must realize the problems we have with their racial policy". While in South Africa, Satterthwaite learned of Kennedy's assassination from the Belgian ambassador (who had been listenening to the BBC World Service). This forced him to break off a dinner party he was holding and announce the news, bringing some of the South African guests to tears. His embassy held a Catholic memorial service shortly after.[1]

He spoke highly of his time under the Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations, saying in an interview that he "never had any pressure from the White House that was objectionable in the least. Obviously pressures were brought by Congress sometimes, but that's something else, that's just par for the course, you can expect that; but certainly not from the White House under either Truman or Eisenhower. I think this is true of Kennedy, too".[8]

After South Africa he retired from the Foreign Service, becoming a consultant on foreign affairs.[9]

He died in Washington, D.C., on November 19, 1990, at the age of 90, due to pneumonia.[10]

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka
September 22, 1949 – July 25, 1953 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head of the U.S. Legation at Tangier
June 24, 1953 – May 1, 1955 		Succeeded by
Preceded by U.S. Ambassador to Burma
April 4, 1955 – April 1, 1957 		Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to South Africa
April 6, 1961 – November 17, 1965 		Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by Director General of the Foreign Service
May 6, 1957 – September 1, 1958 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
New office
 Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
September 2, 1958 – January 31, 1961 		Succeeded by

References

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  1. ^ a b Moss, William W. (March 2, 1971). "Joseph C. Satterthwaite, recorded interview" (PDF). www.jfklibrary.org. John F. Kennedy Library Oral History Program. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  2. ^ Satterthwaite, Joseph Charles. "Joseph Charles Satterthwaite papers: Biography". Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  3. ^ "History of the U.S. and Nepal". U.S. Embassy in Nepal. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  4. ^ Satterthwaite, Joseph C. (August 1947). "Mission to Nepal". American Foreign Service Journal. 24 (8). Washington, D.C.: American Foreign Service Association: 7–10, 32–40. ISSN 0146-3543.
  5. ^ "Joseph Charles Satterthwaite - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  6. ^ "Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Africa, Volume XIV - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. 16. Editorial Note. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  7. ^ "Burma". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 2008-03-14.
  8. ^ McKenzie, Richard D. (November 13, 1972). "Joseph C. Satterthwaite Oral History Interview". Truman Library. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  9. ^ SATTERTHWAITE, JOSEPH C. (May 1, 1972). "The Truman Doctrine: Turkey" (PDF). The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 401 (1): 74–84. doi:10.1177/000271627240100109. hdl:2027.42/67096. ISSN 0002-7162. OCLC 1479265. S2CID 155040866.
  10. ^ "Joseph C. Satterthwaite; Former Chief of Foreign Service". Los Angeles Times. 1990-11-28. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
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