Richard F. Pedersen

Richard Foote Pedersen (February 21, 1925 – July 11, 2011)^[1] was a career United States State Department employee, veteran of WWII & President of the American University of Cairo.

Early life

Pedersen was born in Miami, Arizona and served in the European theater of operations during the war with the 44th Infantry. After the war, he received a bachelor degree from the College of the Pacific in international relations, his master's degree from Stanford University and his doctorate from Harvard University.

Diplomatic career

From 1953 to 1969 Pedersen served a tenure as with a posting to the United Nations. He served this role under five ambassadors, including Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. and Adlai Stevenson during the Cuban Missile Crisis.^[2] From January 23, 1969 until July 26, 1973, Pedersen served as^[3] Counselor of the United States Department of State, serving under Richard Nixon. In 1970 his phones were bugged by the Nixon White House, in order to trace the Invasion of Cambodia.^[4]

United States Ambassador to Hungary

Between July 24, 1973 Pedersen was appointed 'Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Hungary)' and his credentials were presented on September 10, 1973. He left the post on March 26, 1975.^[5]

American University of Cairo

From 1977 until 1990, Pedersen served as the President of the American University of Cairo and led efforts to have the University receive full higher education accreditation.^[6] He died in 2011 in Greenport, New York.

Over 13 years he expanded the university from a small liberal-arts college to a much larger institution. He started a fund-raising campaign that supported the growth while increasing its endowment. It now enrolls about 5,000 students.^[7]

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