Winston Lord (Archived Biography)

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Winston Lord, U.S. Ambassador to PRC on 1985 (Photo: U.S. Department of State)

U.S. Department of State - ARCHIVED BIOGRAPHY

WINSTON LORD

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS

Winston Lord was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs on April 23, 1993. He was announced for this position by then President-elect Clinton and Secretary of State-designate Christopher on January 19 and confirmed by the Senate on April 21,1993.

Before assuming his duties as Assistant Secretary of State, Ambassador Lord had been chairman of the National Endowment for Democracy, vice-chairman of the International Rescue Committee, and chairman of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's National Commission on America and the New World.

Ambassador Lord's history of government service with the Department of State include his appointment as U.S. Ambassador to China from 1985-89. From 1973 to 1977, he was Director of the Policy Planning Staff. Ambassador Lord was a Foreign Service Officer from 1961-67, during which time he was assigned in Washington to the Congressional relations, political-military and economic affairs staffs and abroad in Geneva. He has also served in the U.S. Government outside the Department of State as Special Assistant to the National Security Advisor (1970- 73), on the National Security Council staff (1969-70), and on the Policy Planning Staff in International Security Affairs at the Defense Department (1967-69).

From 1977 to 1985, Ambassador Lord was president of the Council on Foreign Relations. He also has been a member of the Asia Society, the American Academy of Diplomacy, the America-China Society, and the Aspen Institute of Distinguished Fellows.

Among the awards Ambassador Lord has received are the State Department's Distinguished Honor Award and the Defense Department's Outstanding Performance Award.

After graduating magna cum laude from Yale University in 1959, Ambassador Lord obtained an M.A. at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1960. He has received Honorary Doctorate degrees from Williams College, Tufts University, Dominican College, and Bryant College.

Ambassador Lord was born in New York City on August 14, 1937. His mother, Mary Pillsbury Lord, served for eight years as United States Delegate to the United Nations and U.S. Representative to the UN Human Rights Commission. He is married to Bette Bao Lord, whom he met while they were both studying at the Fletcher School. They have a daughter and a son.