Terence A. Todman
Todman (right) next to U.S. President Ronald Reagan (left) in 1985
United States Ambassador to Argentina
In office
June 13, 1989 – June 28, 1993
Preceded byTheodore E. Gildred
Succeeded byJames Richard Cheek
United States Ambassador to Denmark
In office
November 17, 1983 – January 8, 1989
Preceded byJohn Langeloth Loeb Jr.
Succeeded byKeith Lapham Brown
United States Ambassador to Spain
In office
July 20, 1978 – August 8, 1983
Preceded byWells Stabler
Succeeded byThomas Ostrom Enders
Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs
In office
April 1, 1977 – June 27, 1978
Preceded byHarry W. Shlaudeman
Succeeded byViron P. Vaky
United States Ambassador to Costa Rica
In office
March 17, 1975 – January 24, 1977
Preceded byViron P. Vaky
Succeeded byMarvin Weissman
United States Ambassador to Guinea
In office
August 26, 1972 – January 3, 1975
Preceded byAlbert W. Sherer Jr.
Succeeded byWilliam Caldwell Harrop
United States Ambassador to Chad
In office
August 21, 1969 – June 29, 1972
Preceded bySheldon B. Vance
Succeeded byEdward W. Mulcahy
Personal details
Born(1926-03-13)March 13, 1926
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
DiedAugust 13, 2014(2014-08-13) (aged 88)
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
SpouseDoris Weston
Children4
ProfessionCareer Ambassador
AwardsDistinguished Service Award
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1945-1949
Rank First lieutenant
Battles/warsWorld War II

Terence Alphonso Todman (March 13, 1926 – August 13, 2014) was an American diplomat who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Chad, Guinea, Costa Rica, Spain, Denmark, and Argentina. In 1990, he was awarded the rank of Career Ambassador.[1]

Life

Todman was born on Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, on March 13, 1926. His mother worked as a house maid and laundress, and his father was a grocery clerk. His childhood in St. Thomas would prove influential in his decision to become a diplomat. He later spoke of his school years as such: "...we found ourselves doing studies on different countries, obviously at a high school level, but nevertheless you got exposed to the fact that there were other places, other people, other things happening. So, with the movement of people in and out and with that kind of intellectual academic preparation, it made for a consciousness of a world outside and of the need to deal with other people."[2] He graduated Charlotte Amalia High School second in his class.

Todman graduated from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico summa cum laude. He was drafted by the United States Army while in college and served in Japan from 1945 to 1949.[3] Todman earned an M.P.A. degree from the Maxwell Graduate School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 1952; the top-ranked and most prestigious graduate school of public administration.[4] After passing the Federal Entry Exam, Todman received offers from the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Personnel Management, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the State Department. He joined the State Department and, the following year, passed the Foreign Service Examination.[5]

During his Ambassadorship in Guinea, his embassy was under eavesdropping of the Soviet Union's KGB.[6] His appointment as ambassador to Costa Rica in 1974 represented the first African American to be given the title in a Spanish-speaking country.[7]

Todman was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[8] He was also a director of Exxcel Group.[4] The cafeteria at the Harry S Truman Building was named after Todman in 2022.[9]

Personal life and death

Todman was fluent in Spanish, French, Arabic, Hindi, and Japanese.[10] He married Doris Weston; they had four children.[3] On August 13, 2014, Todman died at the age of 88, at a hospital in Saint Thomas.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Ann Devroy; John E. Yang; Kenneth J. Cooper (15 May 1990). "Two Named Career Ambassadors". Washington Post. p. a.21. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  2. ↑ Krenn, Michael (June 13, 1995). "Interview with Terence A. Todman" (PDF). Library of Congress.
  3. 1 2 Highfield, Arnold (March 11, 2011). "Virgin Islander Terence Todman, ambassador extraordinaire". Virgin Islands Daily News. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  4. 1 2 "The Exxel Group: CEO and Executives - Businessweek". Investing.businessweek.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2013. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  5. ↑ Krenn, Michael (June 13, 1995). "Interview with Terence A. Todman" (PDF). Library of Congress.
  6. ↑ Andrew, Christopher; Mitrokhin, Vasili (1999). The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB. Basic Books. p. 342. ISBN 0-465-00310-9.
  7. ↑ Langer, Emily (August 16, 2014). "Terence A Todman, US Ambassador to Six Nations, Dies at 88". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  8. ↑ Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc
  9. ↑ "Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a Ceremony Renaming the Harry S. Truman Cafeteria After Ambassador Terence A. Todman". United States Department of State. February 1, 2022.
  10. ↑ "The Diplomatic Skills of Ambassador Terence A. Todman". The National Museum of American Diplomacy.
  11. ↑ Terence A. Todman, U.S ambassador to six nations, dies at 88
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