Sir Andrew Alexander Steel Stark (30 December 1916 – 3 April 2006) was a British diplomat.

Early life and military service

He was educated at

Bathgate Academy Bathgate Academy is a mixed secondary school in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland, also serving the nearby town of Blackburn. History Established by the will of John Newland (a Jamaican-plantation slave owner) in 1799, the school was originally ...

and the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. This included a semester at the University of Heidelberg studying German. He then worked as an English teacher in Edinburgh between 1937 and 1939. After training with the 166th Officer Cadet Training Unit, Stark commissioned into the

Green Howards The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division. Raised in 1688, it served under vario ...

on 9 November 1940. He served throughout the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, latterly on the staff of

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

as a German-speaking intelligence officer having transferred to the Intelligence Corps. In 1944 he married Rosemary Parker and together they had three sons. In 1948 he was demobilised and joined

HM Diplomatic Service His Majesty's Diplomatic Service (HMDS) is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, dealing with foreign affairs and representing British interests overseas, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which ...

Diplomatic career

Stark worked as Assistant Private Secretary to Anthony Eden, the Foreign Secretary, from 1953 to 1955. He then held diplomatic posts in Vienna, Belgrade, Rome and Bonn. He was invested as a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1964 and as a

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

in 1965. In 1968, Stark was appointed, with ambassadorial rank, to the British Delegation to the United Nations and in the Seven Nation Committee working for the reform and reorganisation of the UN. He then served on the staff of the UN for three years from 1968 to 1971, as Deputy Secretary-General (Administration). That year he became British Ambassador to Denmark, serving in the role until 1976. In 1975 he was elevated as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George. Between 1976 and his retirement two years later Stark was Deputy Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Later life

After leaving the FCO, Stark was invited by

Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Arnold Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller (; 13 July 1913 – 16 April 2012) was a Danish shipping magnate. He was a longtime figure at A.P. Moller–Maersk Group, which was founded by his father. Personal life Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller was born in He ...

to be chairman of

Maersk (), also known simply as Maersk (), is a Danish shipping company, active in ocean and inland freight transportation and associated services, such as supply chain management and port operation. Maersk was the largest container shipping line a ...

's UK subsidiary, a position he held until 1987. From 1983 to 1995 he was chairman of the Anglo-Danish Society and then served as the Society's honorary president until his death. Stark was Pro-Chancellor of the

University of Essex The University of Essex is a public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, Essex is one of the original plate glass universities. Essex's shield consists of the ancient arms attributed to the Kingdom of Es ...

from 1983 to 1995.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stark, Andrew 1916 births 2006 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Denmark British Army personnel of World War II Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Green Howards officers Intelligence Corps officers Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Maersk people Members of HM Diplomatic Service People educated at Bathgate Academy 20th-century British diplomats People from Fauldhouse