Robert O. Blake
United States Ambassador to Mali
In office
December 10, 1970 – May 20, 1973
Appointed byRichard Nixon
Preceded byG. Edward Clark
Succeeded byPatricia M. Byrne
Personal details
Born
Robert Orris Blake

(1921-04-07)April 7, 1921
Los Angeles, California, US
DiedDecember 28, 2015(2015-12-28) (aged 94)
Washington, D.C., US
Spouse
Sylvia Whitehouse
​
(m. 1956)​
Children3, including Robert Jr., Lucy
Parent(s)Frank Orris Blake
Marjorie Edwards
Alma materStanford University
Johns Hopkins University

Robert Orris Blake (April 7, 1921 – December 28, 2015) was an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Mali from 1970 to 1973.

Early life

Blake was born in Los Angeles, California, on April 7, 1921, and grew up in Whittier, California. He was the son of Frank Orris Blake and Marjorie (née Edwards) Blake.[1]

Blake received a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University in 1943 and a Master of Arts in 1947 from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. From 1943 to 1946, Blake was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II.[2]

Career

During his 30-year career in United States Foreign service, Blake served as Ambassador to Mali from December 10, 1970, until May 20, 1973, as a member of the Nixon administration, serving under U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.[3] From August 1968 until December 1970, Blake was Deputy Chief of Mission, Paris. Prior to Paris Blake served in Managua, Nicaragua, Moscow, Russia, Tokyo, Japan, Tunis, Tunisia, and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Kinshasa.[4] He was also the Officer in Charge of U.S.S.R. Affairs, and Advisor on Political and Security Affairs, United States Mission to the United Nations, and United States Representative to the Joint Commission on the Environment.

Blake was the Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute, where he served as the Chairman of the Committee on Agricultural Sustainability. He was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, National Advisory Board of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and the Maine Coast Heritage Trust.

Personal life

On July 28, 1956, Blake was married to Sylvia Whitehouse at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Newport, Rhode Island.[5][6] Sylvia was the daughter of diplomat Edwin Sheldon Whitehouse and sister of Ambassador Charles S. Whitehouse (father of Sheldon Whitehouse, a current U.S. Senator from Rhode Island). Robert and Sylvia had one daughter and two sons, including:[7]

Blake died of prostate cancer at his home in Washington, D.C., on December 28, 2015.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Langer, Emily (December 31, 2015). "Robert O. Blake, career diplomat and former U.S. ambassador to Mali, dies at 94". Washington Post. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  2. ↑ "Blake, Robert Orris," Who's Who in Government, Marquis Who's Who, LLC, Biographical Research Bureau, 1977
  3. ↑ "Washington: For the Record". The New York Times. December 10, 1970. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  4. ↑ "United States Ambassador to the Republic of Mali Announcement of Intention To Nominate Robert O. Blake of California Archived 2012-03-25 at the Wayback Machine", November 24, 1970
  5. ↑ "MISS WHITEHOUSE BECOMES ENGAGED; Barnard Alumna Will Be Wed to Robert O. Blake, Who Is State Department Aide". The New York Times. June 12, 1956. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  6. ↑ Bachrach, Special to The New York Times Bradford (July 29, 1956). "Miss Sylvia Whitehouse Is Wed To Robert O. Blake in Newport; Couple Attended by Eight at Nuptials in Trinity--Bride Wears Parisian Gown". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  7. ↑ "Sylvia Blake - National Museum of American Diplomacy". diplomacy.state.gov. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "Robert O. Blake, career diplomat and former U.S. ambassador to Mali, dies at 94". Herald Democrat. January 2, 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  9. ↑ "WING SOMMERS, A BANKER, IS MARRIED IN CAPITAL TO R. O. BLAKE JR., A DIPLOMAT". The New York Times. January 17, 1988. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
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