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John Cooper Wiley

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John Cooper Wiley
John Cooper Wiley in 1936
United States Ambassador to Latvia
In office
July 18, 1938 – June 17, 1940
PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded byFrederick A. Sterling
Succeeded byEarl L. Packer
as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim
United States Ambassador to Colombia
In office
December 16, 1944 – May 3, 1947
PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt
Harry Truman
Preceded byArthur Bliss Lane
Succeeded byWillard L. Beaulac
United States Ambassador to Portugal
In office
April 10, 1947 – March 15, 1948
PresidentHarry Truman
Preceded byHerman B. Baruch
Succeeded byLincoln MacVeagh
United States Ambassador to Iran
In office
1948–1950
PresidentHarry Truman
Preceded byGeorge V. Allen
Succeeded byHenry F. Grady
United States Ambassador to Panama
In office
July 25, 1951 – November 27, 1953
PresidentHarry Truman
Dwight Eisenhower
Preceded byMonnett Bain Davis
Succeeded bySelden Chapin
Personal details
Born(1893-09-26)September 26, 1893
Bordeaux, France
DiedFebruary 3, 1967(1967-02-03) (aged 73)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
SpouseIrena Monique Baruch
ProfessionDiplomat

John Cooper Wiley (September 26, 1893 – February 3, 1967)[1] was a United States Foreign Service officer and ambassador.

Career

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Wiley was born in Bordeaux, France, while his father served there as U.S. Consul.[2] He was educated by tutors and studied at Union College, Columbia Law School, and Georgetown University Law Center. While at Union College, he joined the Theta chapter of the Psi Upsilon fraternity.

He entered the United States Foreign Service in 1915 and served in several positions in Europe and South America.[3] Wiley was a Counselor of Embassy in Moscow in 1934. From 1935 to 1937, he served as the Consul General at Antwerp.[2] In 1938, he was the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in Austria, the Envoy Extraordinary, and the Minister Plenipotentiary to Latvia and Estonia (the last ambassador before the Soviet occupation in 1940). After World War II, Wiley headed the negotiations with the Soviet Union to liquidate lend-lease accounts that allowed the US to provide arms for the Allied Powers.[2] He went on to receive appointments as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Colombia, Portugal, Iran, and Panama.[1] While he was the ambassador to Portugal, Wiley negotiated the acquisition of US naval and air stations in the Azores.[2]

Retirement

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Wiley's grave (second from right) at Crown Hill Cemetery

He retired in 1953 and resided in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C. He died in Washington on February 3, 1967. He was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.

Family

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He was the son of Congressman John M. Wiley and the grandson of John J. Cooper, who served as Indiana State Treasurer. John Cooper Wiley was married to Irena Monique Baruch (1906-1972), a well-known sculptor and portrait painter.

Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b "Alphabetical List of Chiefs of Mission and Principal Officials, 1778-2005". United States Department of State. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d "John Cooper Wiley, Retired Ambassador". State Department Newsletter: 52 – via Hathitrust.
  3. ^ "John Cooper Wiley Papers, 1898-1967 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum".
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Latvia
1938–1940
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Estonia
1938–1940
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Colombia
1944–1947
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Portugal
1947–1948
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Iran
1948-1950
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Panama
1951–1953
Succeeded by