Thomas C. Wasson

Thomas Campbell Wasson (1896 – 23 May 1948) was an American diplomat who was killed while serving as the Consul General for the United States in Jerusalem. Wasson was also a member of United Nations Truce Commission.

Wasson was born 1896 in Essex, New Jersey. From 1926 to 1929, he served as the United States Vice Consul in Melbourne, Australia. In 1932, he was Vice Consul in Puerto Cortes, Honduras and in 1938, he became the Consul in Lagos, Nigeria. In April 1948, Wasson was appointed as the Consul General for the US in Jerusalem.

On 19 May 1948, The Scotsman quoted a report by Wasson saying the British Consul had a “narrow escape” when the Consulate came under gunfire. On 22 May, it was reported that Wasson had attempted to stop the Arab Legion shelling of the Hadassah Hospital and Hebrew University on Mount Scopus: "The American Consul is reported to have contacted the Legion requesting it to stop firing on Jewish positions in and around the buildings. The Legion Commander replied that the buildings were being used by Jewish forces to mortar and machine-gun the Arab-occupied Sheikh Jarrah quarter and handed the Consul surrender terms to convey to the Jews. The Commander asked that all fighting Jews in the hospital and University surrender as prisoners of war and that all doctors, nurses, professors, and scientists be handed over to the Red Cross."

Later the same day, just after 2.00pm, Wasson was shot while returning to the US Consulate from a meeting of the UN Truce Commission at the French Consulate in Jerusalem. While crossing Wauchope Street (now Abraham Lincoln/Hess) to enter the alley leading to the Consulate, he was shot by a .30 caliber rifle. The bullet entered his chest via his right upper arm and left level to his second costal cartilage. Wasson died the following day.

Wasson's funeral was narrated by the American journalist Arthur Derounian (John Roy Carlson) in his book "Cairo to Damascus".

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