Richard R. Burt is an American businessman and diplomat who served as United States Ambassador to Germany and was a chief negotiator of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Prior to his diplomatic career, Burt worked as director of a non-governmental organization and was a correspondent for the New York Times.
Burt was born on February 3, 1947 in Sewell, Chile.[1] He attended Cornell University, where he earned his bachelor's degree, and earned a master's degree in international relations from Tufts University in 1971. Following graduate school, he was selected for a research fellowship at the United States Naval War College. Following this fellowship, Burt moved to London to work as a research associate and later Assistant Director of the International Institute of Strategic Studies. In 1977, he was hired by the New York Times to work as a correspondent on national security issues.[2]
Burt began working for the United States Department of State in the early 1980s. In 1981, he was appointed Director of Politico-Military Affairs, and in 1983 Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs. In 1985, he became the United States Ambassador to Germany.[2] His tenure as Ambassador to Germany coincided with the beginning of the process that would lead to the reunification of Germany.[3] In 1989, President George H.W. Bush appointed Burt as chief negotiator for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) between the United States and the Soviet Union, with the rank of Ambassador.[1][2] The treaty, signed in 1991, limited the number of nuclear weapons that the two countries could have.
After negotiation of the START I treaty, Burt left government service and entered the private sector. He has since worked as a partner in consulting firms McKinsey and Company, Diligence, and McLarty and Associates. In addition, he has served on boards for Deutsche Bank's Scudder and Germany mutual fund families, International Games Technology, UBS mutual funds, Textron Corporation, and Alfa Bank. Burt is also a Senior Advisor to the Center for Strategic and International Studies[2] and U.S. Chair of Global Zero.[4]
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Reginald Bartholomew |
Director of the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs January 23, 1981 – February 17, 1982 |
Succeeded by Jonathan Howe |
| Preceded by Lawrence Eagleburger |
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs February 18, 1983 – July 18, 1985 |
Succeeded by Rozanne L. Ridgway |