Thomas R. Pickering facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thomas R. Pickering
Portrait of Pickering
17th Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
In office May 27, 1997 – December 31, 2000
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Peter Tarnoff
Succeeded by	Marc Grossman
United States Ambassador to Russia
In office May 12, 1993 – November 1, 1996
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Robert S. Strauss
Succeeded by	James F. Collins
United States Ambassador to India
In office April 6, 1992 – March 23, 1993
President	George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton
Preceded by	William Clark
Succeeded by	Frank G. Wisner
18th United States Ambassador to the United Nations
In office March 20, 1989 – May 7, 1992
President	George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	Vernon A. Walters
Succeeded by	Edward J. Perkins
United States Ambassador to Israel
In office August 6, 1985 – December 28, 1988
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Samuel W. Lewis
Succeeded by	William Andreas Brown
United States Ambassador to El Salvador
In office September 5, 1983 – June 7, 1985
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Deane R. Hinton
Succeeded by	Edwin G. Corr
United States Ambassador to Nigeria
In office November 30, 1981 – July 9, 1983
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Stephen Low
Succeeded by	Thomas W. M. Smith
4th Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
In office October 10, 1978 – February 24, 1981
President	Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Patsy Mink
Succeeded by	James Malone
United States Ambassador to Jordan
In office March 2, 1974 – July 13, 1978
President	Richard Nixon Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	L. Dean Brown
Succeeded by	Nicholas A. Veliotes
5th Executive Secretary of the Department of State
In office July 30, 1973 – January 31, 1974
President	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	Theodore L. Eliot Jr.
Succeeded by	George Springsteen
Personal details
Born	Thomas Reeve Pickering (1931-11-05) November 5, 1931 (age 93) Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Spouse	Alice Stover ​ ​ (m. 1955; died 2011)​
Children	2
Education	Bowdoin College (BA) Tufts University (MA) University of Melbourne (MA)

Thomas Reeve Pickering, born on November 5, 1931, is a well-known retired American ambassador. He had a long career helping the United States work with other countries. One of his most important jobs was being the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 1989 to 1992.

Early Life and Education

Thomas Pickering was born in Orange, New Jersey. He grew up in Rutherford, New Jersey, and finished high school there.

He went to Bowdoin College in Maine in 1949. He studied history and graduated with high honors in 1953. After that, he earned a master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He then received a special scholarship called a Fulbright Fellowship. This allowed him to study in Australia at the University of Melbourne, where he earned another master's degree in 1956.

Before joining the State Department, Pickering served in the United States Navy. He was on active duty from 1956 to 1959. Later, he was in the Naval Reserve and became a Lieutenant Commander.

A Career in Diplomacy

Thomas Pickering had a very long career in the United States Foreign Service. This means he worked for the U.S. government to help manage relationships with other countries. He held the highest rank for a U.S. diplomat, called Career Ambassador.

He served as the U.S. ambassador to many different countries:

• Russia (1993–1996)
• India (1992–1993)
• United Nations (1989–1992)
• Israel (1985–1988)
• El Salvador (1983–1985)
• Nigeria (1981–1983)
• Jordan (1974–1978)

He also served as the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 1997 to 2000. This was a very important job, like being the third-highest person in the State Department.

Starting His Diplomatic Journey

Early in his career, Pickering worked at the U.S. embassy in Tanzania. He also helped secretaries of state William P. Rogers and Henry Kissinger. When he was the ambassador to Jordan in the 1970s, King Hussein of Jordan said he was "the best American ambassador."

From 1978 to 1981, he worked as an Assistant Secretary of State. This role focused on oceans, the environment, and science around the world. After being the ambassador to Nigeria, President Ronald Reagan asked him to become the ambassador to El Salvador.

Challenges in El Salvador and Israel

Being the ambassador to El Salvador was a challenging time for Pickering. In 1984, he faced threats from some politicians in El Salvador. However, President Ronald Reagan fully supported him. After his time in El Salvador, he became the United States Ambassador to Israel.

As ambassador to Israel, Pickering spoke for the U.S. when Israel expelled some Palestinians. He told the Israeli prime minister that the U.S. thought these actions were against the law and not helpful for peace.

Working at the United Nations

In 1989, President George H. W. Bush chose Pickering to be the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. The United States Senate approved this choice almost completely. The United Nations is an organization where countries work together to solve global problems.

Pickering played a key role during the First Gulf War. He helped lead the United Nations Security Council's response when Iraq invaded Kuwait. Many people thought he did a great job at the UN. The New York Times even called him "arguably the best-ever U.S. representative" to the UN.

Later, President Bill Clinton appointed him as the United States Ambassador to Russia. This was his last job as an ambassador.

In 1994, while in Russia, he noted that many people there were against the idea of NATO expanding. NATO is a military alliance. This showed how different countries had different views on important international topics.

From 1997 to 2001, Pickering served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. This was a very high position in the State Department. Time magazine called him the "five star general of the diplomatic corps." In 1998, he was a special envoy to Nigeria and was meeting with a leader named M. K. O. Abiola on the day he passed away.

After His Time at the State Department

After retiring from the Foreign Service in 2001, Thomas Pickering continued to be active. He worked at Boeing, a large airplane company, until 2006. He also serves on the board of a big pipe company in Moscow.

He is involved with several important groups that work on international issues:

• The International Crisis Group, where he helps lead their global efforts.
• The Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.
• The American Academy of Diplomacy.
• The Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya Foundation.
• The National Bureau of Asian Research.
• The Global Panel Foundation.

Pickering in 2014

To honor his amazing career, the U.S. Department of State renamed a fellowship program after him. It is now called the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program. This program helps students who want to become diplomats. In 2004, Bowdoin College gave him their highest award, the Bowdoin Prize.

Secretary Condoleezza Rice with (left to right): Tom Pickering, John Engler and John Breaux at the presentation of a report on diplomacy.

Pickering is also on the board of directors for CRDF Global and the American Iranian Council. This council works to improve relations between Iran and America. He is part of the Constitution Project's Liberty and Security Committee. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Henry L. Stimson Center board. He advises the Eurasia Group, a company that studies political risks, and America Abroad Media.

Pickering in August 2022

He also helps lead the International Economic Alliance (IEA). Here, he takes part in meetings with business leaders and government officials from different countries. He is also a member of the Global Leadership Foundation, which supports democratic leaders and helps prevent conflicts. He is also a board member of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC).

In 2012, Pickering helped lead a special panel. This panel investigated an attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi. In 2014, he gave an important speech at West Point, a military academy. He talked about how preparing for disasters affects U.S. foreign policy.

Personal Life

Thomas Pickering lives in Fairfax County, Virginia. His wife, Alice Jean Stover, passed away in 2011. They were married in 1955 and had two children, Timothy and Margaret.

Pickering is very good at languages. He speaks French, Spanish, and Swahili fluently. He also knows some Russian, Hebrew, and Arabic.

Honors and Awards

In 2002, Thomas Pickering received the Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy Award. This award was given by the American Foreign Service Association.

In May 2015, Brandeis University gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. He also gave the speech to the graduating students at their ceremony.

See also

In Spanish: Thomas R. Pickering para niños