Lawrence Eagleburger facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lawrence Eagleburger
Official portrait, 1989
62nd United States Secretary of State
In office December 8, 1992 – January 20, 1993 Acting: August 23, 1992 – December 8, 1992
President	George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	James Baker
Succeeded by	Warren Christopher
10th United States Deputy Secretary of State
In office March 20, 1989 – December 8, 1992
President	George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	John C. Whitehead
Succeeded by	Clifton R. Wharton Jr.
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
In office February 12, 1982 – May 1, 1984
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Walter Stoessel
Succeeded by	Michael Armacost
Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs
In office May 14, 1981 – January 26, 1982
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	George S. Vest
Succeeded by	Richard Burt
United States Ambassador to Yugoslavia
In office June 21, 1977 – January 24, 1981
President	Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Laurence Silberman
Succeeded by	David Anderson
Personal details
Born	Lawrence Sidney Eagleburger (1930-08-01)August 1, 1930 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	June 4, 2011(2011-06-04) (aged 80) Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Marlene Heinemann ​ ​ (m. 1966; her death 2010)​
Children	3
Education	University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point University of Wisconsin–Madison (BA, MA)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1952–1954
Rank	First lieutenant

Lawrence Sidney Eagleburger (born August 1, 1930 – died June 4, 2011) was an important American diplomat and government official. He briefly served as the United States Secretary of State under President George H. W. Bush from December 1992 to January 1993. This was one of the shortest times anyone has held that job in modern history.

Before becoming Secretary of State, he worked in many different roles for Presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan. He was also the United States Deputy Secretary of State under President George H. W. Bush. Lawrence Eagleburger is special because he was the only person who started his career as a professional Foreign Service Officer (a diplomat who works for the government overseas) and later became the Secretary of State.

Early Life and Education

Lawrence Eagleburger was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His mother, Helen, was an elementary school teacher, and his father, Leon, was a medical doctor.

He went to Jacobs High School in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. After high school, he studied at Stevens Point State College, which is now called the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. He then earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Wisconsin.

Eagleburger also served in the United States Army from 1952 to 1954. He reached the rank of first lieutenant.

He had three sons, all named Lawrence Eagleburger, but with different middle names. He was married to Marlene Ann Heinemann from 1966 until she passed away in 2010.

Government Career

In 1957, Lawrence Eagleburger joined the United States Foreign Service. This meant he worked for the U.S. government in different countries and at the State Department in Washington D.C.

From 1961 to 1965, he worked at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. He became well-known for helping manage the crisis after the 1963 Skopje earthquake. During this time, he helped with the first time the U.S. and the Soviet Union worked together to help people. Because of his work, he was sometimes called "Lawrence of Macedonia".

Starting in 1969, he worked for President Nixon's government as an assistant to Henry Kissinger, who was the United States National Security Advisor. He held several other important jobs, including advising the U.S. Mission to NATO in Brussels. When Henry Kissinger became Secretary of State, Eagleburger took on more roles in the State Department.

After President Nixon resigned, Eagleburger left government for a short time. He then returned to serve as Executive Secretary to the Secretary of State from 1975 to 1977. Later, President Jimmy Carter appointed him as the Ambassador to Yugoslavia. He held this position from 1977 to 1980.

In 1981, he became the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs. In 1982, President Reagan made him the Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs. This was the third-highest position in the State Department.

In 1989, President George H. W. Bush appointed him United States Deputy Secretary of State. This was the second-highest position in the State Department. He also became the President's main advisor on issues related to Yugoslavia, which was breaking apart at the time.

On August 23, 1992, James Baker resigned as Secretary of State. Lawrence Eagleburger then served as the Acting Secretary of State until President Bush officially appointed him for the rest of his term.

His work as an advisor for Yugoslavia from 1989 to 1992 was sometimes discussed. Some people thought he favored Serbia too much. Because of this, the European press sometimes called him Lawrence of Serbia.

In 1991, President Bush gave him the Presidential Citizens Medal for his excellent service.

Helping Holocaust Survivors

Lawrence Eagleburger became the chairman of a group called the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC). This group was created in 1998. Its main goal was to help survivors of the Holocaust and their families get back money from insurance policies that were not paid during the Nazi era.

In 2005, Eagleburger announced that the ICHEIC was offering about 16 million dollars to Holocaust victims. He explained that it was challenging to work quickly because many people did not have basic information, like the name of the insurance company.

Views on Foreign Policy

After working in the United States Foreign Service for 27 years, Eagleburger continued to be interested in foreign policy. He often appeared on TV shows to talk about current events.

In 2002, he shared his thoughts about possible military action in Iraq. He questioned if it was the right time for such action. He believed that changing the government in Iraq could be a goal for the U.S. at some point, but he didn't think the government was fully ready at that moment.

In 2003, he spoke out against military action in Syria or Iran. He said that the public would not support such a move.

In 2006, he joined a meeting at the White House with other former Secretaries of Defense and State. They discussed U.S. foreign policy with officials from the Bush administration.

Eagleburger also thought that Iran might be moving in a direction that could eventually require military action. He said that while "we should try everything else we can first," it might become necessary to use force to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

2008 Presidential Election

Before the Republican primary elections in 2008, Eagleburger supported John McCain for president. He also commented on McCain's running-mate, Sarah Palin. He said that she was "not prepared" for a top office, but he later changed his comments.

Death

Lawrence Eagleburger passed away from pneumonia on June 4, 2011, in Charlottesville, Virginia. He was 80 years old. He is survived by his three sons.

Many important people spoke about his life and work. President Barack Obama called him a "distinguished diplomat and public servant." Former President George H. W. Bush said he was "a tireless patriot." Vice President Joe Biden noted that the world after the Cold War was "more stable and secure because of Eagleburger's service." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, "Larry believed in the strength of America's values, and he fought for them around the world."

Lawrence Eagleburger and his wife, Marlene Ann, are both buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Images for kids

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  Painted portrait of Eagleburger by Ned Bittinger

See also

• List of secretaries of state of the United States