Richard W. Murphy

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Richard W. Murphy as United States Assistant Secretary of State with Saddam Hussein.
Richard W. Murphy as United States Assistant Secretary of State with Saddam Hussein.

Richard William Murphy (b. July 29, 1929, Boston, Massachusetts) is an American diplomat.

After graduating from The Roxbury Latin School in 1947, he received BAs from Harvard University in 1951 and from Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge in 1953. From 1953 to 1955, he served in the U.S. Army.

Muphy started his career in the United States Foreign Service as Vice Consul in Salisbury, Zimbabwe (1955-58). From 1959 to 1971 he worked for the Middle Eastern Bureau. He was the United States ambassador to Mauritania (1971-74), Syria (1974-78), the Philippines (1978-81), and Saudi Arabia (1981-83). He served as the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs from 1983 to 1989.

From October 1, 1993 to June 30, 2004 he served as director of the Middle East Rountable at the Council on Foreign Relations.

He is married to Anne Cook and has three children.

Preceded by
Robert G. Neumann
United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
1981–1983
Succeeded by
Walter Leon Cutler
Preceded by
David D. Newsom
United States Ambassador to the Philippines
1978–1981
Succeeded by
Stephen W. Bosworth
Preceded by
Hugh H. Smythe
U.S. Ambassador to Syria
1974–1978
Succeeded by
Talcott W. Seelye


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