Edward J. Perkins
Career diplomat and 19th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (1928–2020)
Edward Joseph Perkins (June 8, 1928 – November 7, 2020) was an American career diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, South Africa, the United Nations, and Australia. He also served as the Director General of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Corps.
Early life and education
Perkins was born in Sterlington, Louisiana. He grew up in Haynesville, Louisiana, on a farm belonging to his grandparents, Nathan and Sarah Stovall Noble. His grandmother regarded learning and academic success as the key to her grandson’s future, and pushed him away from succeeding his grandfather on the farm and towards higher education and study. As a result, Perkins eventually moved - first to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and then to Portland, Oregon, and graduated there in 1947 from Jefferson High School. It was during this period that he began to consider his dream of becoming a diplomat, after attending a local international relations club meeting at which several consuls general spoke. He earned his B.A. from the University of Maryland, University College in 1967, and his M.A. and Doctor of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. He was an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
Career
Enthusiastic about seeing the wider world beyond the United States, Perkins enlisted in the United States Army, serving for three years.
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