Clovis Maksoud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clovis Maksoud
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| كلوفيس مقصود | |
Maksoud in 2015
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| Born | December 17, 1926 Bristow, Oklahoma, U.S.
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| Died | May 15, 2016 (aged 89) Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Nationality | Lebanese American |
| Alma mater | American University of Beirut, George Washington University, Oxford University |
| Occupation | Ambassador of the Arab League, Senior editor of Al-Ahram, Professor of International Relations and Director of the Center for the Global South at American University in Washington, DC |
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Notable work
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The Meaning of Non Alignment, The Meaning of Non Alignment, Reflections on Afro-Asianism, The Arab Image |
| Movement | Arab Unity, Global South, Non-Aligned Movement, Palestinian Rights |
Clovis Maksoud (December 17, 1926 – May 15, 2016) was an important American diplomat and journalist. He worked as an Ambassador for the Arab League in different parts of the world. From 1961 to 1966, he was the Ambassador to India. Later, from 1979 to 1990, he served as Ambassador to the United Nations and the United States at the same time.
During his career, he worked with several U.S. presidents. These included John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush. Besides being an ambassador, Maksoud was also a senior editor for the newspaper Al-Ahram. He was also a professor of International Relations at American University in Washington, D.C.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to Beirut
Clovis Maksoud was born in Bristow, Oklahoma, U.S., on December 17, 1926. His parents were from Lebanon. His father worked in the oil industry in Oklahoma. When Clovis was a teenager, his family moved to Beirut, Lebanon.
In 1939, at the start of World War II, he joined the International School of Choueifat in Beirut. This school was special because it had students from many different countries. This diverse environment helped shape his early ideas.
Clovis Maksoud's Education Journey
Studying at American University of Beirut
In 1944, when he was 18, Clovis Maksoud started studying at the American University of Beirut (AUB). He focused on Political Science and Economics. During this time, Lebanon was becoming independent from France.
At AUB, he was greatly inspired by Professor Constantin Zureiq. Professor Zureiq had forward-thinking ideas about Arab unity. Maksoud graduated from AUB in 1948.
Law School and Oxford University
After AUB, he traveled to the United States to study law. He earned his law degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In 1951, he met Rosemary Curry, who became his first wife. They had one child, Elizabeth.
Later, Clovis Maksoud went to Oxford University in the UK for his post-graduate degree. While at Oxford, he spent a lot of time at Hyde Park Corner's Speakers' Corner in London. This was a place where people could practice their debating skills.
He was known for using very long sentences during debates at the Oxford Union. Once, someone in the audience shouted "Full Stop!" because his sentence was so long. But Clovis cleverly replied, "Sir, you did not take into account all of the commas I used during my speech."
Serving as Arab League Ambassador
Ambassador to India (1961–1966)
Clovis Maksoud's writings and ideas about Arab unity led him to become an Ambassador. In 1961, he was named the Arab League Ambassador to India and Southeast Asia. He became known as a very important foreign diplomat there.
During the Cold War, India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, chose a path of "Non-Alignment." This meant India would not pick sides between the United States and the Soviet Union. Clovis Maksoud strongly supported this idea. He even wrote an essay called "Clovis Maksoud on Non-Alignment."
His work on Non-Alignment impressed Prime Minister Nehru and later Indira Gandhi. She became Prime Minister in 1966. Clovis Maksoud played a key role in making relations between India and the Arab World stronger. India also supported Arab causes and Palestinian rights during this time.
Ambassador to the U.S. and United Nations
In 1973, there was a conflict called the October War between Israel and its neighbors. This led to the Arab Oil Embargo, where oil exports to Western countries were reduced. To explain the Arab viewpoint, the Arab League sent Clovis Maksoud as a special envoy to the United States.
He traveled all over the U.S., speaking to many groups. He told the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, "Our job is to convey the Arab consensus to American policy makers and opinion makers."
In 1974, Clovis Maksoud met Hala Salaam, who became his second wife. They both helped start the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. They also worked with many educational and charity groups.
In 1979, Clovis became the Arab League Ambassador to both the U.S. and the United Nations. In the U.S., he worked to change negative ideas about Arabs in the media. He wrote a book called "The Arab Image" and many articles to help Americans understand Arab culture better.
At the United Nations, he worked hard for Arab causes. He also spoke up for the interests of the Global South, which includes developing countries. He believed the UN should allow all members to talk and work together. He was against any country trying to have too much power over the organization.
However, the 1990 Gulf War disappointed him. He felt there was a lack of unity among Arab nations. Because of this, on August 15, 1990, he resigned from the Arab League.
Journalism and Political Writing
Clovis Maksoud also had a career as a journalist and writer. From 1967 to 1979, he was a Senior Editor for Al Ahram, a very important newspaper in the Arab world. Later, he became Chief Editor at the Lebanese Weekly Al-Nahar.
Over the years, he wrote many articles, essays, and books about the Middle East and the Global South. Some of his books include "The Meaning of Non Alignment" and "The Arab Image."
Academic Career and Teaching
Clovis Maksoud's academic work focused on International Law, Middle East Studies, and International Relations. His many years as a diplomat gave him a unique way of teaching. He was a professor at American University. He taught International Relations and International Law. He also founded the Center for the Global South there.
He also helped create the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University in the late 1970s. In 2005, a special professorship, the Clovis and Hala Salaam Maksoud Chair in Arab Studies, was created at Georgetown University in his honor.
Death
Clovis Maksoud passed away on May 15, 2016, in Washington, D.C. He was 89 years old. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage, which is a type of bleeding in the brain.
