Samuel W. Lewis
Samuel Winfield Lewis (born October 1, 1930, in Houston, Texas) is a retired American diplomat. During his lengthy career with the United States Department of State he served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (1975–1977), U.S. ambassador to Israel (1977–1985) and Director of Policy Planning (1993–1994).[1][2] Lewis also headed the United States Institute of Peace from 1987 through 1993).[3]
Lewis received an A.B. from Yale University in 1952 and an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University in 1954.
Lewis joined the Foreign Service in 1954 and served as consular officer at Naples. From 1955 to 1959, he was a political officer and acting principal officer in Florence. From 1959 to 1961, he was officer in charge of Italian Affairs in the State Department. From 1961 to 1962, Lewis served as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State.
During 1963-64, he was a visiting fellow at Princeton University. He served as Deputy Assistant Director for Technical Cooperation for AID in Rio de Janeiro, on detail, and in 1966 he was executive assistant to the Ambassador in Rio de Janeiro.
In 1967 and 1968, Lewis was Assistant Director for Development in the Office of Brazilian Affairs at AID, and in 1968 he became Deputy Director of that Office In 1968 and 1969, he was a senior staff member on the National Security Council at the White House (on detail).
In 1969 Lewis was Special Assistant for Policy Planning in the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs at the State Department, and in 1970 and 1971 he was special assistant to the Director General of the Foreign Service.
From 1971 to 1974, Lewis was Deputy Chief of Mission, Kabul. He was Deputy Director of the Policy Planning staff from 1974 until 1975, when he became Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs.
He received the Meritorious Honor Award in 1966 from the State Department and the Meritorious Honor Award the same year from AID.[4]
Lewis is frequent guest commentator on Middle Eastern issues for television and radio programs. In 2009 he will be featured in a documentary directed by Harry Hunkele called Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace.[5] Back Door Channels takes its name from the important yet seldom understood role that unofficial back channels of communications, often through third-party countries and private businessmen, played in securing the peace between Israel and Egypt. In addition The film’s producers conducted in-depth interviews with many of the original participants from the first historic peace process, including former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and other world leaders.[6]
Lewis currently sits on the U.S. Advisory Council of the Israel Policy Forum, and is involved in the J Street project.
References
- ↑ "Samuel W. Lewis". Table of Contents. Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ↑ "Samuel Winfield Lewis (1930-)". Home > Department History > People. Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ↑ Silman-Cheong, Helen, Wellesley Aron, Rebel with a Cause, Valentine Mitchell, 1992, Foreword
- ↑ http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=7310
- ↑ http://www.backdoorchannels.com/
- ↑ http://www.realscreen.com/articles/news/20090226/MonteCarlo_release.doc
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William B. Buffum |
Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs December 22, 1975 – April 13, 1977 |
Succeeded by Charles W. Maynes |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by Malcolm Toon |
U.S. Ambassador to Israel 1977 – 1985 |
Succeeded by Thomas R. Pickering |
| |||||||
| |||||
