Thomas F. Stroock
Thomas F. Strook | |
|---|---|
| United States Ambassador to Guatemala | |
| In office 1989–1992 | |
| Preceded by | James H. Michel |
| Succeeded by | Marilyn McAfee |
| State Senator from Natrona County, Wyoming | |
| In office 1967–1967 | |
| In office 1971–1974 | |
| In office 1979–1989 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 10, 1925 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | December 13, 2009 (aged 84) Casper, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Marta Stroock |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence(s) | Casper, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Occupation | Oil executive |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Marine Corps |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Thomas F. Stroock (October 10, 1925 – December 13, 2009) was an American businessman, ambassador, and a Republican politician from Casper, Wyoming.[1]
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]Born in New York City, Stroock attended Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, alongside future U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush. He was a member of Chi Phi Fraternity. After graduation, he served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and then relocated to Wyoming, where he devoted his remaining years. He was brought to Casper, Wyoming in 1949 by his current employer, the Stanolind Oil and Gas Company.[2]
Career
[edit]Upon settling in Casper, he founded several petroleum companies.
He served as a member of the Wyoming State Senate from Natrona County in 1967, from 1971 to 1974, and finally from 1979 to 1989. He was the Senate vice president in 1989.[3] In 1974, he left the state Senate to run unsuccessfully on the GOP ticket for Wyoming's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives, having been defeated by the incumbent Democrat Teno Roncalio.
In 1989, he was named United States Ambassador to Guatemala by his former Yale classmate President Bush. He held that post until 1992.
In 1989, he was named United States Ambassador to Guatemala by his former Yale classmate President Bush.[4] He held that post until 1992. During his time as ambassador, he fought against drug trafficking. He also had to handle the case of the American nun Dianna Ortiz, who had been abducted, raped, and tortured by the Guatemalan military, with possible complicity of the United States, and whose account he was unwilling to accept.
Personal life
[edit]He and his wife, Marta, had four daughters. He died on December 13, 2009, at the age of eighty-four.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ http://wyofile.com/2009/12/tom_stroock_dies/[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Thomas F. Stroock". Casper Star-Tribune Online. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
- ^ "Tom Stroock". legisweb.state.wy/us. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
- ^ "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR THOMAS F. STROOCK" (PDF). Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. 27 November 1993. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Former U.S. ambassador, oilman Stroock dies Trib.com Archived 2012-07-15 at archive.today
External links
[edit]- 1925 births
- 2009 deaths
- Businesspeople from New York City
- Politicians from Casper, Wyoming
- Republican Party Wyoming state senators
- American energy industry businesspeople
- Ambassadors of the United States to Guatemala
- Yale University alumni
- United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II
- 20th-century members of the Wyoming Legislature
- 20th-century American businesspeople