Thomas E. McNamara

Thomas E. McNamara


United States Ambassador to Colombia
In office October 4, 1988 – August 14, 1991
President	Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	Charles A. Gillespie, Jr.
Succeeded by	Morris D. Busby

Personal details
Born	1940 (age 76–77) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Alma mater	Manhattan College University of Notre Dame

Thomas E. "Ted" McNamara (born 1940) is a United States diplomat and State Department official.

Thomas E. McNamara was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1940. He was educated at Manhattan College, graduating with a B.A. in 1962. He then attended the University of Notre Dame, receiving an M.A.

In 1965, McNamara joined the United States Foreign Service. As a diplomat, he was at various times stationed in Paris, Lubumbashi, Bukavu, Moscow, and Bogota. In the 1970s, he was active in the negotiation of several major arms control agreements, serving in the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency in 1974 and 1975. From 1980 to 1983, he was Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in Kinshasa.

In 1986, President of the United States Ronald Reagan appointed McNamara to the United States National Security Council as Director of Counterterrorism and Counternarcotics. President Reagan nominated McNamara as United States Ambassador to Colombia in 1988. He held this post until 1991, at which time President George H. W. Bush appointed him as Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director for International Programs and African Affairs on the staff of the National Security Council. He served as Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism 1992-1993.