Rozanne L. Ridgway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rozanne L. Ridgway
Ridgway in 2010
14th Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
In office July 19, 1985 – June 30, 1989
President	Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	Richard Burt
Succeeded by	Raymond Seitz
United States Ambassador to East Germany
In office January 26, 1983 – July 13, 1985
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Herbert Okun
Succeeded by	Francis Meehan
19th Counselor of the United States Department of State
In office March 20, 1980 – February 24, 1981
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Matthew Nimetz
Succeeded by	Robert McFarlane
United States Ambassador to Finland
In office August 5, 1977 – February 20, 1980
President	Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	Mark Austad
Succeeded by	James Goodby
Personal details
Born	Rozanne Lejeanne Ridgway (1935-08-22) August 22, 1935 (age 89) Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	Hamline University

Rozanne Lejeanne Ridgway (born August 22, 1935) is a very important American diplomat. She worked for the U.S. State Department for 32 years. During her career, she held many important jobs. These included being an ambassador to Finland and East Germany. She finished her career as the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs.

Rozanne Ridgway has been a leader in American foreign policy. This means she helped guide how the United States deals with other countries. She was a key negotiator for the United States in many international talks.

Rozanne Ridgway's Diplomatic Career

Early Work and Fishing Rights

In the early 1970s, Rozanne Ridgway helped solve long-standing problems. These problems were about fishing rights in countries like Brazil, Peru, and the Bahamas. Because of her success, she was chosen for a new role in 1976. She became the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and Fisheries.

In this job, she helped create a treaty about fishing rights. This treaty set a 200-mile (370 km) limit for fishing zones. Later, she also helped American citizens get their property back from Czechoslovakia.

Working with Presidents and Ending the Cold War

Rozanne Ridgway was a special helper to the Secretary of State. She was also the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs. In these roles, she was the main negotiator at four important meetings. These meetings were between President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

These talks led to the first major reductions in nuclear weapons. They also marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War. This period of tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was finally coming to an end. Her work helped change how global power was balanced. It prepared America for the 21st century.

Ambassador Roles

Between her jobs at the State Department, Rozanne Ridgway served as an ambassador. She was America's Ambassador to Finland from 1977 to 1980. Later, she was the Ambassador to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) from 1983 to 1985.

Organizations and Leadership

Rozanne Ridgway is a member of several important groups. These groups focus on international relations and global issues.

• Council on Foreign Relations
• Trilateral Commission
• Bilderberg Group
• National Geographic Society (Trustee)
• Brookings Institution (Trustee)

She was also the president of the Atlantic Council from 1989 to 1996. Currently, she is the chairwoman of the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation.

Honors and Recognition

In 1998, Rozanne Ridgway received a special honor. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. This recognizes women who have made great contributions to American society.

External links

• Union Carbid Proxy statement