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George Ivan Smith AO (11 July 1915 – 21 November 1995) career spanned radio, war correspondent, movie director, diplomat, poet and author. He was born 11 July 1915 George Charles Ivan Smith in Sydney,
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
(NSW), Australia. He is the first son of George Franklin Smith, a NSW prison governor and May Sullivan.


Personal

In 1935 he married Madeleine LaBarte Oakes (1909–1966) of Maryborough, Queensland: children George Ivan Smith 1937 deceased, Antony Ivan Smith (Ivansmith) (1939–2008) and Sharon Morreale 1940. In 1944 he married Mary Stephanie Douglass; stepchildren
Penelope Gilliatt Penelope Gilliatt (; born Penelope Ann Douglass Conner; 25 March 1932 – 9 May 1993) was an English novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and film critic. As one of the main film critics for ''The New Yorker'' magazine in the 1960s an ...
writer (1932–1993),
Angela Conner Angela Conner FRSS (born 1935) is an English sculptor who works in London. Conner has exhibited internationally and has large scale sculptures in public and private collections around the world. Biography In her early life as a sculptor, Conner ...
(1935), sculptor and an adopted daughter Edda Mwakeselo Ivan-Smith 1960, author and Social Development Consultant. He died in 1995 in Stroud, Gloucestershire. Ivan Smith is his full last name and not hyphenated, though often he is categorized under the last name Smith.


Life and career

After education at
Bathurst, New South Wales Bathurst () is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Bathurst is about 200 kilometres (120 mi) west-northwest of Sydney and is the seat of the Bathurst Regional Council. Bathurst is the oldest inland settlement in ...
and then Goulburn High School where his father George Franklin Smith was prison governor at the Goulburn Gaol. After graduation Ivan Smith began work as a cub newspaper journalist for the ''Sydney Truth''. In 1937 he joined the
Australian Broadcasting Commission The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-owned ...
and managed 2WL a radio station in
Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wa ...
. Later
Michael Pate Michael Pate OAM (born Edward John Pate; 26 February 1920 – 1 September 2008) was an Australian actor, writer, director, and producer, who also worked in Hollywood in the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Early life Pate was born in Drum ...
who began his famous career in 1938, when he joined Ivan Smith writing and broadcasting a program called 'Youth Speaks' for ABC Radio. In 1939 became he talk's editor and a founding member of the new overseas short wave broadcasting service, " Australia Calling" (1939–1941) later named
Radio Australia ABC Radio Australia, also known as Radio Australia, is the international broadcasting and online service operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australia's public broadcaster. Most programming is in English, with some in Tok ...
. In 1941 Ivan Smith was seconded to the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
Overseas Service in London, England where he became Director of the Pacific Service and organised overseas coverage of the Second Front. In 1945 he joined the J. Arthur Rank Organisation where he worked as Producer, Editor and Director of ''
This Modern Age ''This Modern Age'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature film directed by Nick Grinde and starring Joan Crawford, Neil Hamilton, Pauline Frederick and Albert Conti. Plot Socialite Valentine "Val" Winters (Joan Crawford) is ...
'' with Sergei Nolbano, a documentary series of films for J. Arthur Rank (1945–1947). Ivan Smith joined the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
in 1947 and went to New York as Senior Director of External Affairs to establish the organisation's first international radio programmes for the United Nations Information Services, then at Lake Success, New York (1947–1949). In 1949 he came to Britain as first director of the London United Nations Information Centre, remaining there until 1958. During that time he was closely associated with Dr. Ralph Bunche and the
UN Secretary-General The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. The role of the secretary- ...
Trygve Lie Trygve Halvdan Lie ( , ; 16 July 1896 – 30 December 1968) was a Norwegian politician, labour leader, government official and author. He served as Norwegian foreign minister during the critical years of the Norwegian government in exile in Lond ...
in developing the
1949 Armistice Agreements The 1949 Armistice Agreements were signed between Israel and Egypt,1948 Arab–Israeli War. After Trygve Lie's resignation in 1952, he acted frequently as spokesman for
Dag Hammarskjöld Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld ( , ; 29 July 1905 – 18 September 1961) was a Swedish economist and diplomat who served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 196 ...
, who had become secretary-general in 1953. He accompanied him on many missions, including his visit to the Middle East following the Suez Crisis on 1956–57. After which he co-ordinated salvage operations with American salvage companies of the sunken ships that blocked the Suez Canal. He was also in charge of press liaison at the Four Powers' summit conference and foreign ministers' meeting in
Geneva , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...
in 1955 and worked closely with James Hagerty President Dwight Eisenhower's press secretary. In 1958 Ivan Smith returned to New York, firstly as Director of the External Relations Division of the UN Office of Public Information and later as Senior Director Public Information of Press and Publications, United Nations, New York.


Africa

In 1961, he was appointed United Nations Representative Katanga by Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld. Where he and his colleague Sir
Brian Urquhart Major Sir Brian Edward Urquhart ( ) (28 February 1919 – 2 January 2021) was a British international civil servant and World War II veteran, and author. He played a significant role in the founding of the United Nations. He went on to serve as ...
were kidnapped and beaten by Katangese paratroopers in the presence of US Senator Thomas Dodd. Senator Dodd was visiting the secessionist leader
Moïse Tshombe Moïse Kapenda Tshombe (sometimes written Tshombé) (10 November 1919 – 29 June 1969) was a Congolese businessman and politician. He served as the president of the secessionist State of Katanga from 1960 to 1963 and as prime minister of the D ...
and was his strongest supporter in the US Senate. A State Department employee,
Lewis Hoffacker Roscoe Lewis Hoffacker (February 11, 1923 Glenville, Pennsylvania – August 18, 2013 Austin, Texas) was an American Career Foreign Service Officer who was Chargé d'Affaires ad interim to Algeria (1967–1969) and served a concurrent appointment a ...
, attempted to stop the kidnapping and managed to get Ivan Smith away from his abductors by pulling him from a truck; Senator Dodd was being feted at a private home in Elizabethville at the time. Ivan Smith was able to then contact the commander of the UN Indian forces, Colonel S. S. Maitro and who effected Urquhart's release shortly afterwards, albeit in badly beaten condition. Ivan Smith was then appointed the personal Representative of the Secretary General
U Thant Thant (; ; January 22, 1909 – November 25, 1974), known honorifically as U Thant (), was a Burmese diplomat and the third secretary-general of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971, the first non-Scandinavian to hold the position. He held t ...
in East and Central Africa 1962–1966 as well as the Regional Director of United Nations Technical Assistance Programmes in Central Africa. In 1964 he delivered the Boyer Lecture for ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) titled "Along the Edge of Peace". 1965 he was nominated for the new post of secretary-general of the Commonwealth but the appointment went to his namesake Arnold Smith of Canada after severe pressure from Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies over his work in Africa.


Later years

In 1966 Ivan Smith returned from Africa to become a visiting Professor
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
and
The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy is the graduate school of international affairs of Tufts University, in Medford, Massachusetts. The School is one of America's oldest graduate schools of international relations and is well-ranked in it ...
(1966–1968). After this last tenure he again became Director of United Nations Office London England (1968–1974). During 1967 he also worked for the World Security Trust on the problems of nuclear proliferation and acted as consultant to various international corporations. In his retirement to Stroud, Gloucestershire he authored ''Ghosts of Kampala'', a biography of Idi Amin and contributed numerous articles and letters to the press to include an obituary of Laurence Olivier. He was awarded the Officer the
Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gov ...
(AO) by Queen
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
of the United Kingdom in London on
Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port ...
1992 for Service to International Relations. His collection of photographs, papers and letters were donated to the Bodleian Library at the
University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...
. He was a very close friend of over the years with many individuals he met in the course of his career. Danny Kaye who would come to London with Jerry Lewis and appear in special
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
performances. He carried on constant communications with friends and associates such as Gareth Evans,
Paul Keating Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...
and
Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...
and much earlier his mentor
James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...
these documents all reside at the Bodleian Library.


Publications

*''Poetry London X ''1944 Editions Poetry London, page 154. Anthology of The best War Time London Verse. *''Adventure and Discovery'' 1946 Jonathan Cape ''Miracle Drugs''" page 155 *''The Term of his Natural Life'': Marcus Clarke, with an Introduction by George Ivan Smith, Collins. 1953. *''Ghosts of Kampala'': The Rise and Fall of Idi Amin first published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson (London)(1980.


References


External links


Bodleian Library collection of photos, papers and letters of George Ivan Smith
* ttp://www.abc.net.au/corp/history/galwar1.htm The Official Opening of Australia Calling (later Radio Australia) on 20 December 1939.br>Interview with Sir Brian Urquhart, Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley
* ttp://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=233854 New York Times review This Modern Age Palestine 1946br>Listing of This Modern Age documentaries
* ttp://www.hfg.org/hfg_review/4/jackall-5.htm Violence Robert Jackall Class of 1956 Professor of Sociology and Social Thought, Williams College HFG granteebr>Order of Australia recipients

Interview at the British Entertainment History Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, George Ivan Australian diplomats Officers of the Order of Australia 1915 births 1995 deaths People of the Congo Crisis