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Robert J. McCloskey

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Robert J. McCloskey
McCloskey in 1978
54th United States Ambassador to the Netherlands
In office
October 22, 1976 – March 10, 1978
PresidentGerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Preceded byKingdon Gould Jr.
Succeeded byGeri M. Joseph
United States Ambassador to Cyprus
In office
May 20, 1973 – January 14, 1974
Preceded byDavid H. Popper
Succeeded byRodger Davies
United States Ambassador to Greece
In office
1978–1981
PresidentJimmy Carter
Preceded byJack B. Kubisch
Succeeded byMonteagle Stearns
14th Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs
In office
February 21, 1975 – September 10, 1976
Preceded byA. Linwood Holton
Succeeded byDouglas J. Bennet
4th Spokesperson for the United States Department of State
In office
1964–1973
Preceded byLincoln White
Succeeded byCarl E. Bartch
Personal details
Born(1922-11-25)November 25, 1922
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedNovember 28, 1996(1996-11-28) (aged 74)
Chevy Chase, Maryland, U.S.

Robert James McCloskey (November 25, 1922 – November 28, 1996) was an American diplomat, ombudsman, and relief services executive.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Thomas McCloskey and Anna Wallace,[1] he was spokesperson for the United States Department of State from 1964 to 1973 but after a short stint (June 20, 1973, to January 14, 1974) as United States Ambassador to Cyprus, he was asked to return to his old job as spokesperson.

Career

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From February 21, 1975, to September 10, 1976, he served as Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations. He later served as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands and to Greece.[2] His government career was followed by a stint as ombudsman at the Washington Post, then as senior vice president of International Catholic Relief Services.[3]

Family

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He married Anne Taylor Phelan on July 8, 1961. They had two daughters, Lisa and Andre. He died of leukemia in 1996 in Chevy Chase, Maryland at age 74.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "NNDB profile". Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  2. ^ "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR ROBERT MCCLOSKEY" (PDF). Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. May 8, 1989. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 29, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Cooper, Michael (November 30, 1996). "Robert J. McCloskey, State Dept. Spokesman, Dies at 74". The New York Times.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Cyprus
1973–1974
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to the Netherlands
1976–1978
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Greece
1978–1981
Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs
February 21, 1975 – September 10, 1976
Succeeded by