Gladwyn Jebb facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gladwyn Jebb GCMG, GCVO, CB
Acting Secretary-General of the United Nations
In office 24 October 1945 – 2 February 1946
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	Trygve Lie
Personal details
Born	(1900-04-25)25 April 1900 United Kingdom
Died	24 October 1996(1996-10-24) (aged 96) Suffolk
Political party	Liberal
Spouses	Cynthia Jebb, Lady Gladwyn

Hubert Miles Gladwyn Jebb, 1st Baron Gladwyn, known as Gladwyn Jebb (born April 25, 1900 – died October 24, 1996), was a very important British civil servant, diplomat, and politician. He is famous for being the first ever Acting Secretary-General of the United Nations. This happened right after World War II.

Gladwyn Jebb: First UN Leader

After World War II ended, Gladwyn Jebb played a key role in setting up the United Nations. In August 1945, he became the Executive Secretary of the group that prepared for the UN's creation.

He was then chosen to be the Acting United Nations Secretary-General. He held this important job from October 1945 to February 1946. He served until the first official Secretary-General, Trygve Lie, was appointed.

Working as an Ambassador

After his time at the UN, Jebb returned to London. He worked closely with the Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, at a meeting of foreign ministers. From 1946 to 1947, he was the Foreign Office's expert on United Nations matters.

He also represented the United Kingdom at the Brussels Treaty Permanent Commission. This was a group of countries working together for peace and security. He was given the special rank of Ambassador for this role. Later, he became the United Kingdom's Ambassador to the United Nations from 1950 to 1954. He then served as the Ambassador to Paris, France, from 1954 to 1960.

His Political Life

In 1960, Gladwyn Jebb was given a special title called a hereditary peerage. This meant he became Baron Gladwyn and could join the House of Lords, which is part of the British Parliament. He became involved in politics as a member of the Liberal Party.

He was a Deputy Leader for the Liberals in the House of Lords from 1965 to 1988. He also spoke for the party on topics like foreign affairs and defence. Gladwyn Jebb strongly supported the idea of the European Union. He was a Member of the European Parliament from 1973 to 1976. During this time, he was also the Vice-President of the Parliament's Political Committee. He tried to be elected to the European Parliament again in 1979.

Someone once asked him why he joined the Liberal party. He famously replied that the Liberals were "a party without a general," and he was "a general without a party." Like many Liberals, he believed that education was very important for making society better.

Lady Gladwyn

Gladwyn Jebb's wife was named Cynthia, Lady Gladwyn. She was known for writing diaries about their time in Paris and about politics in London. She was also a popular hostess for many Liberal and London political events. Interestingly, she was the great-granddaughter of the famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Death

Gladwyn Jebb passed away in 1996. He is buried at St. Andrew's church in Bramfield, a village in Suffolk, England.

Honours

Gladwyn Jebb received several important honours for his work:

• Commander of the CMG in 1942
• Knight Commander of the KCMG in 1949
• Knight Grand Cross of the GCMG in 1954
• Knight Grand Cross of the GCVO in 1957
• Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1947
• Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (from France) in 1957

Images for kids

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  Gladwyn Jebb, the first Acting Secretary-General of the United Nations.

See also

In Spanish: Gladwyn Jebb para niños