Gordon Phelps Merriam (July 29, 1899 – February 16, 1999) was an American soldier and diplomat.
The Honourable Gordon Phelps Merriam | |
|---|---|
| U.S. Ambassador to Iran | |
| In office 1936–1937 | |
| Preceded by | William H. Hornibrook |
| Succeeded by | Cornelius Van Hemert Engert |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 29, 1899 Lexington, Massachusetts |
| Died | February 16, 1999 (aged 99) South Bristol, Maine |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Rank | Second lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Biography edit
Merriam was born on July 29, 1899, in Lexington, Massachusetts. He would graduate from Noble and Greenough School in 1917.[1]
World War I edit
Merriam went to France in June 1917, serving in the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps for five months. Once he returned to the United States he would get commissioned as a second lieutenant in September 1918, following completion of training in machine guns in the Student Army Training Corps at Camp Hancock, Georgia.[1]
Merriam would get commissioned as the Chargé d'affaires to Iran in March 1936, a position he would hold until May 1937.[2][3] He would also serve as the chief of the Near Eastern Division of the State Department.[4] During his service in the State Department, he would be an advocate for U.S. investments in Middle Eastern energy infrastructure.[5] He would also keep the United States informed on issues regarding the Kurds, their connections to different groups in the region and movement from Iran into Iraq.[6] He would also criticize the Balfour declaration and instead advocate for the Jews and Arabs to determine the fate of the former mandate together.[7]
Merriam died on February 16, 1999, in South Bristol, Maine.[2][8] He died following a short illness.[4]
References edit
- ^ a b Americana: (American Historical Magazine). American Historical Company, Incorporated. 1919.
- ^ a b "Gordon Phelps Merriam - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
- ^ Principal Officers of the Department of State and United States Chiefs of Mission. Department of State, Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs. 1978.
- ^ a b "Obituaries: Gordon P. Merriam" (PDF). State Magazine: 44. June 1999.
- ^ Business, United States Congress Senate Special Committee to Study Problems of American Small (1948). Problems of American Small Business. U.S. Government Printing Office.
{{cite book}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ State, United States Department of (1953). Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers. U.S. Government Printing Office.
- ^ Journal of International Affairs. Vol. 58. Board of Editors of the Journal of International Affairs. 2004.
- ^ State Magazine. The Department. 1999.
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