Laurence W. Lane
| Bill Lane | |
|---|---|
| United States Ambassador to Nauru | |
|
In office December 6, 1985 – April 29, 1989 |
|
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Robert D. Nesen |
| Succeeded by | Mel Sembler |
| United States Ambassador to Australia | |
|
In office December 6, 1985 – April 29, 1989 |
|
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Robert D. Nesen |
| Succeeded by | Melvin F. Sembler |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 7, 1919 Des Moines, Iowa |
| Died | July 31, 2010 (aged 90) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Jean Gimbel Lane |
| Alma mater | Stanford University |
Laurence William "Bill" Lane, Jr. (November 7, 1919 – July 31, 2010) was an American magazine publisher, diplomat, and philanthropist.
Lane was born November 7, 1919, to Laurence William Lane (1890 – February 20, 1967) and Ruth Bell. His father was known as "Larry", so he was generally called "Bill".
In 1928, the family moved from Des Moines, Iowa where Larry Lane was advertising director for the Meredith Corporation (publisher of Better Homes and Gardens magazine) to California. The Lanes owned and published Sunset Magazine.
Bill Lane attended Stanford University and graduated in 1942. He was a member of the Stanford Chaparral. He married Donna Jean Gimbel in 1955.
As their father phased himself out of the business, Bill took over the magazine publishing and brother Melvin (1922–2007) managed the book business.
Lane was the first mayor and one of the founders of Portola Valley, California in 1964. From 1975 to 1976, he served as US Ambassador-at-large and lived in Japan. From 1985 to 1989, he was appointed US Ambassador to Australia and Nauru.Ronald Reagan knew Lane from their membership in the Los Rancheros Vistadores horseback riding club. The Lane family donated to the reconstruction of the Stanford Memorial Church and other historic buildings after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
The Lane publishing business was sold to Time Warner in 1990. In March 1993 he was appointed an honorary officer of the Order of Australia for service to Australian-American relations.
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