Robert Marion Sayre (August 18, 1924 – March 31, 2016) was a United States State Department official and ambassador to Brazil, Panama and Uruguay.[1] A career foreign service officer specializing in Latin American affairs, Sayre served as the United States Ambassador to Uruguay from 1968 to 1969, Ambassador to Panama from 1969 to 1974, and Ambassador to Brazil from 1978 to 1981.[2] He also held the position of Inspector General of the U.S. State Department from 1974 to 1978.[2]

Robert Sayre
Sayre in June 1990
4th Coordinator for Counterterrorism
In office
May 11, 1982 – September 10, 1984
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byAnthony Quainton
Succeeded byRobert B. Oakley
United States Ambassador to Brazil
In office
June 8, 1978 – September 19, 1981
PresidentJimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
Preceded byJohn Crimmins
Succeeded byTony Motley
8th Inspector General of the Department of State
In office
November 25, 1975 – May 1, 1978
PresidentGerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Preceded byWilliam Schaufele
Succeeded byTheodore L. Eliot Jr.
United States Ambassador to Panama
In office
October 31, 1969 – March 14, 1974
PresidentRichard Nixon
Preceded byCharles Adair
Succeeded byWilliam Jorden
United States Ambassador to Uruguay
In office
August 27, 1968 – October 19, 1969
PresidentLyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
Preceded byHenry Hoyt
Succeeded byCharles Adair
Personal details
Born
Robert Marion Sayre

(1924-08-18)August 18, 1924
Hillsboro, Oregon, U.S.
DiedMarch 31, 2016(2016-03-31) (aged 91)
Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.
EducationWillamette University (BA)
Stanford University (MA)
George Washington University (JD)

Early life

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He was born in Hillsboro, Oregon, on August 18, 1924.[3] He served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946, during World War II.[3] In 1949, Sayre earned a bachelor's degree from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, followed by master's degree in 1960 from Stanford University.[3] He then graduated from George Washington University Law School with a JD in 1956.[3]

Career

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Sayre started at the State Department in 1949 as an intern.[3] He then worked his way up in the State Department, serving in various roles. These included serving on the United States Security Council from 1964 to 1965, as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs from 1965 to 1967, and then as Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs from 1967 to 1968.[4] He served as the U.S. ambassador to Uruguay from 1968 to 1969, and to Panama from 1969 to 1974.[4] On February 9, 1978, President Jimmy Carter nominated Sayre to serve as the ambassador to Brazil.[3] Sayre served as ambassador to Brazil from 1978 to 1981, followed by United States Coordinator for Counterterrorism from 1982 to 1984.[4] He also served as the Inspector General of the Foreign Service.[4]

Sayre died on March 31, 2016, in Fairfax, Virginia, at the age of 91.[2][5]

References

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  1. ^ "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR ROBERT M. SAYRE" (PDF). Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. 31 October 1995. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 July 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Barnes, Bart (2016-05-06). "Robert M. Sayre, U.S. ambassador to three countries, dies at 91". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. (February 9, 1978). "Jimmy Carter: United States Ambassador to Brazil Nomination of Robert M. Sayre". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d "Robert Sayre". www.nndb.com. Soylent Communications. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  5. ^ "ROBERT SAYRE Obituary (1924 - 2016) - Falls Church, VA - The Washington Post". Legacy.com.
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Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Uruguay
1968–1969
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Panama
1969–1974
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Brazil
1978–1981
Succeeded by