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George Wadsworth (diplomat)

George Wadsworth
United States Ambassador to Italy
In office
October 1941 – December 1941
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by William Phillips
Succeeded by
United States Ambassador to Lebanon
In office
November 16, 1944 – February 1, 1947
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Succeeded by Lowell C. Pinkerton
United States Ambassador to Syria
In office
November 17, 1944 – February 8, 1947
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Succeeded by Paul Humiston Alling
United States Ambassador to Iraq
In office
February 15, 1947 – September 26, 1948
President Harry S. Truman
Preceded by Loy W. Henderson
Succeeded by Loy W. Henderson
United States Ambassador to Turkey
In office
October 1, 1948 – January 2, 1952
President Harry S. Truman
Preceded by Edwin C. Wilson
Succeeded by George C. McGhee
United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia
In office
October 1, 1948 – January 2, 1952
President Harry S. Truman
Preceded by Ellis O. Briggs
Succeeded by U. Alexis Johnson
United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
In office
January 9, 1954 – January 1, 1958
President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded by Raymond A. Hare
Succeeded by Donald R. Heath
United States Ambassador to North Yemen
In office
January 9, 1954 – January 1, 1958
President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded by Raymond A. Hare
Succeeded by Donald R. Heath
Personal details
Born (1893-04-03)April 3, 1893
Beverly, Massachusetts
Died March 5, 1958(1958-03-05) (aged 64)
Spouse(s) Dorothy Marnard Lasell
Alma mater Union College
Occupation Career FSO

George Wadsworth II (April 3, 1893 – March 5, 1958) was a United States diplomat, specializing in the Middle East.

Wadsworth was born in Buffalo, New York and received a degree in chemical engineering from Union College in Schenectady, New York. He became interested in teaching abroad and moved to Beirut, Lebanon and joined the staff of the American University of Beirut as a professor (he served there from 1914 to 1917). To supplement his income, he took a part-time job working as a clerk in the United States consulate in Beirut.

In May 1921, he married Dorothy Marnard Lasell. She died on November 20, 1928.; married, May 1, 1936, to Norma Mack, daughter of Norman E. Mack and Harriet Taggart Mack.

He had two children with his first wife George Wadsworth Lasell and Caroline Harris (née Wadsworth).

In 1917, he entered the Foreign Service full-time and served in positions at embassies in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

From 1935 to 1940, Wadsworth served as Consul General in Jerusalem. In 1941, Wadsworth was serving in the United States embassy in Rome, Italy under Ambassador William Phillips who had been tasked with persuading Benito Mussolini to not enter World War II on the side of the Axis Powers. Unfortunately, his efforts failed and he fled Italy five days before the declaration of war. During those five days, Wadsworth served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim there. When war was declared by Italy on December 11, 1941, Wadsworth was informed personally by Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano. He then worked with Italian authorities to secure the safe passage of the embassy staff home, and was one of the three final staff members to leave in May 1942. He arrived back in New York by ocean liner in June. This was Wadsworth's first duty as Chief of Mission.


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