Charles Harry Price II (April 1, 1931 – January 12, 2012) was a prominent American businessman and

ambassador of the United States Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the country's diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. ...

Early life

Price was born to a prominent family in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

which owned a local candy manufacturing firm, the Price Candy Company. He attended

Wentworth Military Academy Wentworth Military Academy and College was a private two-year military college and high school in Lexington, Missouri. Wentworth was one of six total military junior colleges in the United States. The institution was founded in 1880 and closed in ...

Lexington, Missouri Lexington is a city in and the county seat of Lafayette County, Missouri. The population was 4,726 at the 2010 census. Located in western Missouri, Lexington lies approximately east of Kansas City and is part of the Greater Kansas City Metropol ...

, and then the Pembroke-Country Day School in Kansas City, where he graduated in 1948. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...

in 1953. After college, between 1953 and 1955, he served in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

. After his discharge from the Air Force, Price returned to Kansas City to begin a prominent career in the local banking industry. He served as chairman and President of American Bancorporation, Inc., Chairman and CEO of the American Bank and Trust Company, and chairman and President of Linwood Securities Company. He also ran his family's candy company, serving as chairman and CEO from 1969 to 1981.

Public life

In the spring of 1981, President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

appointed Price to be

United States Ambassador to Belgium In 1832, shortly after the creation of the Kingdom of Belgium, the United States established diplomatic relations. Since that time, a long line of distinguished envoys have represented American interests in Belgium. These diplomats included men ...

. He was quickly and unanimously confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

. In 1983, President Reagan recalled Price from his post in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

and appointed him Ambassador to the United Kingdom. The Senate again confirmed him unanimously, and he held the post until the end of the

Reagan Administration Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following a landslide victory over D ...

in 1989. As Ambassador to the United Kingdom, he was instrumental in handling the aftermath of the bombing of

Pan Am Flight 103 Pan Am Flight 103 was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via a stopover in London and another in New York City. The transatlantic leg of the route was operated by ''Clipper Maid of the Seas'', a Boeing ...

in 1988 and was the first U.S. government official on the scene in

Lockerbie Lockerbie (, gd, Locarbaidh) is a small town in Dumfries and Galloway, south-western Scotland. It is about from Glasgow, and from the border with England. The United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census recorded its population as 4,009. The town ...

, Scotland on the night of the bombing. He gave the first indication that it was the worst terrorist attack against the U.S. when he told reporters that 70% of those on board were Americans. Upon returning from his ambassadorial post in April 1989, Price was appointed chairman of the board of Ameribanc, Inc., and then became President and CEO in 1990. Ameribanc merged with Mercantile Bancorporation in May 1992, and Price became chairman of the board of Mercantile Bank of Kansas City and Mercantile Bank of Kansas. He held this position until retiring in 1996. Price also served as a Director of

British Airways British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a populati ...

(1989–1996),

Hanson plc Hanson UK, formerly Hanson Trust plc, is a British-based building materials company, headquartered in Maidenhead. The company has been a subsidiary of the German company HeidelbergCement since August 2007, and was formerly listed on the London S ...

(1989–1995), US Industries, Inc. (1995–2004),

The New York Times Company The New York Times Company is an American mass media company that publishes ''The New York Times''. Its headquarters are in Manhattan, New York City. History The company was founded by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones in New York City. T ...

(1989–2002),

Texaco Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American Petroleum, oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its Gasoline, fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an Indepe ...

(1989–2001), and

Sprint Sprint may refer to: Aerospace *Spring WS202 Sprint, a Canadian aircraft design *Sprint (missile), an anti-ballistic missile Automotive and motorcycle *Alfa Romeo Sprint, automobile produced by Alfa Romeo between 1976 and 1989 *Chevrolet Sprint, ...

(1989–1995). In Kansas City, he served on numerous philanthropic boards. He also received numerous awards and honorary degrees for his public service. Price lived in

Indian Wells, California Indian Wells is a city in Riverside County, California, Riverside County, California, in the Coachella Valley. Incorporated in 1967, it lies in between the cities of Palm Desert and La Quinta, California, La Quinta. As of the 2010 Census, the c ...

with his wife, Carol Swanson Price, after his retirement. He died on January 12, 2012, in Indian Wells and was buried at

Forest Hill Calvary Cemetery Forest Hill Calvary Cemetery is a cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri. History The Forest Hill Calvary Cemetery was established in 1888. George Kessler served as the landscape architect when the cemetery was established. The cemetery is approxi ...

in Kansas City, Missouri.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Price, Charles H. II 1931 births 2012 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Belgium Ambassadors of the United States to the United Kingdom American bankers Businesspeople in confectionery Businesspeople from Kansas City, Missouri University of Missouri alumni Wentworth Military Academy and College alumni United States Air Force airmen Military personnel from Missouri People from Indian Wells, California 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American philanthropists 20th-century American diplomats