Frank Ongley Darvall

Frank Ongley Darvall (16 April 1906-21 May 1987), was a British Liberal Party politician, diplomat and authority on Anglo-American relations.

Background

He was the 5th son of R. T. Darvall and Annie Johnson, of Reading, Berkshire. He was educated at Dover College and Reading (BA), London (BA, PhD) and Columbia (MA) Universities. He married, in 1931, Dorothy Edmonds of New York City. They had one son. He was awarded the CBE in 1954.

Political career

He was President of the National Union of Students from 1927–29. He was Liberal candidate for the Ipswich Division of Suffolk at the 1929 General Election. He was Liberal candidate for the King’s Lynn Division of Norfolk at the 1935 General Election.

General Election 1935 Electorate 48,764

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Somerset Arthur Maxwell	17,492	50.0
	Labour	F Emerson	12,062	34.5
	Liberal	Frank Ongley Darvall	5,418	15.5
Majority			5,430	15.5
Turnout			34,972	71.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

After the election he was adopted by Dorset East Liberal Association as their prospective parliamentary candidate, a more winnable seat as the Liberals came second in 1935. However he resigned in July 1939 to stand as the Liberal candidate for the Hythe by-election, 1939 in Kent.

Hythe by-election, 1939 Electorate 35,535

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Rupert Arnold Brabner	12,016	54.2	−9.7
	Liberal	Frank Ongley Darvall	9,577	43.2	+7.1
	Independent	Harry St. John Bridger Philby	576	2.6	n/a
Majority			2,439	11.0	−16.8
Turnout				62.4	−5.9
	Conservative hold		Swing	-8.4

Early career

He was Commonwealth Fund Fellow, 1929–31; Assoc. Sec. for International Studies, International Students Service, 1931–32; Dir, Geneva Students International Union, 1933. Extension Lecturer and Tutorial Classes Tutor, Cambridge and London Universities, 1933–39. Lecturer in Economics and History, Queen’s Coll., Harley Street, 1933–36; Director Research and Discussion, English-Speaking Union, 1936–39; Deputy Director American Div., Ministry of Information, 1939–45.

Publications

Popular Disturbances and Public Order in Regency England, 1934; The Price of European Peace, 1937; The American Political Scene, 1939

Diplomatic career

He was British Consul, Denver, 1945–46; 1st Secretary HM Embassy, Washington, 1946–49; Vice-Chairman Kinsman Trust, 1949–56; Editor, The English-Speaking World, 1950–53; Director-General, English-speaking Union of the Commonwealth, 1949–57; Chairman, Congress of European-American Assoc., 1954–57. European Editor, World Review, 1958–59. Hon. Dir, UK Committee, Atlantic Congress, 1959; Attached British High Commission, Cyprus, 1960–62; Dir, British Information Services, Eastern Caribbean, 1962–66; attached, British Consulate-Gen., Barcelona, 1966; Consul, Boston, 1966–68; FCO (formerly CO), 1968–70. He retired from HM Diplomatic Service in 1970.

He was Dean of Academics, Alvescot College, 1970–71, Vice-Pres., 1971–72.