Roy R. Rubottom, Jr.

Roy Richard "Dick" Rubottom, Jr. (February 13, 1912 – December 6, 2010) was a United States diplomat, most notable for being Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs from 1957 to 1960, a post in which he played a major role in engineering the United States' response to the Cuban Revolution.

Biography

Early years (1912–1947)

Rubottom was born in Brownwood, Texas on February 13, 1912.^[1] His parents ran a boarding house.^[2] He was educated at Southern Methodist University, graduating in 1933.^[3] There he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and in 1933, he became the fraternity's seventh full-time traveling secretary (educational leadership consultant) from 1933 to 1935.^[2] In 1937, he became dean of student life at the University of Texas at Austin.^[4] He married a student, Billy Ruth Young of Corsicana, Texas, in 1938, and together the couple would have three children: a daughter, Eleanor Ann (Rubottom) Odden and two sons, Frank Richard Rubottom and John William Rubottom.^[5] During his time at the University of Texas, he also did graduate level studies from 1939 to 1941.^[4] In fall 1941, Rubottom joined the United States Navy with the rank of Lieutenant (junior grade).^[2] He was initially posted to New Orleans, where he was responsible for recruiting and training.^[2] After serving additional assignments in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico and Asunción, Paraguay he left the Navy in 1946, having achieved the rank of Commander.^[6]

Career in the Foreign Service (1947–1957)

Rubottom joined the United States Foreign Service in 1947. His first posting as a Foreign Service Officer was Second Secretary in Bogotá.^[3] He then moved to the United States Department of State in Washington, D.C. to become Officer-in-Charge of Mexican Affairs, and later Director of the Office of Middle American Affairs.^[3] He then returned to the field, serving in the United States Embassy in Madrid, first as Counselor, then as Director of the United States Operations Mission in Spain.^[7] In 1956, he returned to Washington, D.C. and became Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs.^[2]

Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (1957–1960)

Upon the resignation of Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Henry F. Holland in September 1956, Rubottom was named Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs.^[8] President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower later nominated Rubottom to the office and, after Senate confirmation, Rubottom was Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs from June 18, 1957 until August 27, 1960. Pursuing the Eisenhower Administration's Cold War policy of containment (as expressed in the Eisenhower Doctrine), Rubottom's chief aim as Assistant Secretary was to halt the spread of Communism in Latin America. In January 1958, Rubottom gave an important speech entitled "Communism in the Americas" in which he warned that agents of the Soviet Union were increasingly active in Latin America and that the U.S. needed to be prepared to support anti-Communist forces in Latin America.^[9]

The Cuban Revolution of 1959 occurred while Rubottom was Assistant Secretary. Rubottom initially believed that Castro was not a Communist, and in April 1959, the State Department greeted Castro as a "distinguished leader".^[10] At a January 14, 1960 meeting of the United States National Security Council, Rubottom explained how the State Department's policy evolved from having a positive image of Fidel Castro in early 1959 through to deciding Castro needed to be assassinated by the end of the year:^[11]

In addition to discussions about assassinating Castro, Rubottom was involved in discussions about the United States embargo against Cuba, which began in October 1960, two months after Rubottom left the State Department.^[12]

As Assistant Secretary, Rubottom was supportive of moderates in the Dominican Republic who sought the overthrow of dictator Rafael Trujillo, advising the National Security Council in March 1960 that an assassination attempt would occur soon.^[13] He was in contact with CIA officials about orchestrating the assassination, which eventually occurred in May 1961.^[14]

Later years (1960–present)

President Eisenhower then nominated Rubottom as United States Ambassador to Argentina; Ambassador Rubottom presented his credentials to the Argentinian government on October 20, 1960 and served in that post for one year, leaving Argentina on October 19, 1961.^[15]

Rubottom spent 1961–64 as a faculty adviser at the Naval War College.^[16] He then returned to his alma mater, Southern Methodist University, as Vice President of Life (1964–67); Vice President of Administration (1967–70); and Vice President of Planning (1970–71).^[2] He then spent two years as president of the University of the Americas before retiring in 1973.^[2]

In retirement, Rubottom lived in Dallas.^[5] Rubottom and his wife were active members of the Highland Park United Methodist Church.^[5] Rubottom was also active in the Boy Scouts of America, serving as U.S. delegate to the World Scout Conference on four occasions and being awarded the Silver Buffalo Award in 1993.^[2] Rubottom also remained active in Lambda Chi Alpha, serving on the Grand High Zeta from 1968 to 1976 and as a director of the Educational Foundation Board from 1977 to 1996 (and as its chairman from 1985 to 1989).^[2] The fraternity awarded Rubottom its Order of Achievement in 1988.^[2] After over 40 years living in Dallas, the Rubottoms moved to Austin in 2006.^[5] Rubottom's wife, Billy Ruth, died on January 4, 2008.^[5] Roy Richard Rubottom died on December 6, 2010 in Austin, Texas.^[17]

Publications by Roy R. Rubottom, Jr.

• Roy R. Rubottom, Jr., "Communism in the Americas", Department of State Bulletin, Feb. 3, 1958.
• Roy R. Rubottom, Jr., "Toward Better Understanding between United States and Latin America," Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 330, Whither American Foreign Policy? (Jul. 1960), pp. 116–123.
• Roy R. Rubottom, Jr., "The Goals of United States Policy in Latin America", Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 342, American Foreign Policy Challenged (Jul., 1962), pp. 30–41.

Photographs of Roy R. Rubottom, Jr.

• From Getty Images
• From Life magazine

References