Richard Harvey Solomon (June 19, 1937 – March 13, 2017) was an American diplomat and academic who served as
Director of Policy Planning
The Director of Policy Planning is the United States Department of State official in charge of the department's internal think tank, the Policy Planning Staff. In the department, the Director of Policy Planning has a rank equivalent to Assistant ...
from 1986 to 1989,
from 1989 to 1992, and
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines from 1992 to 1993. In September 1993, he became president of the
United States Institute of Peace
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is an American federal institution tasked with promoting conflict resolution and prevention worldwide. It provides research, analysis, and training to individuals in diplomacy, mediation, and other pea ...
, a position he held until September 2012. He subsequently joined the
RAND Corporation as a Senior Fellow.
Early life and education
Richard H. Solomon was born in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
on June 28, 1937. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
in 1960, and a PhD in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
with a specialization in
Chinese politics
The People's Republic of China is run by a single party, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), headed by the CCP General Secretary who tends to be the paramount leader of China. China is among few contemporary party-led dictatorships to not hol ...
in 1966.
Career
In 1966, Solomon became a professor of political science at the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
. He left in 1971 to become a staff member of the
United States National Security Council
The United States National Security Council (NSC) is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for consideration of national security, military, and foreign policy matters. Based in the White House, it is part of the Exe ...
, responsible for Asian Affairs. In this position, he worked with then-
National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger
Henry Alfred Kissinger (; ; born Heinz Alfred Kissinger, May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presid ...
on the normalization of relations with China.
In 1976, he joined the Rand Corporation in
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing t ...
as head of the political science department, a position he held until 1986. Solomon then joined the
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...
in 1986 as
Director of Policy Planning
The Director of Policy Planning is the United States Department of State official in charge of the department's internal think tank, the Policy Planning Staff. In the department, the Director of Policy Planning has a rank equivalent to Assistant ...
, serving until 1989.
On March 24, 1989,
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
George H. W. Bush nominated Solomon as
serving from June 23, 1989 until July 10, 1992. As Assistant Secretary, Solomon helped negotiate the
1991 Paris Peace Agreements
The Paris Peace Agreements ( km, សន្ធិសញ្ញាសន្តិភាពទីក្រុងប៉ារីស ឆ្នាំ១៩៩១; french: Accords de paix de Paris), formally titled Comprehensive Cambodian Peace Agreeme ...
, by which the
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
-backed
People's Republic of Kampuchea
The People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK), UNGEGN: , ALA-LC: ; vi, Cộng hòa Nhân dân Campuchia was a partially recognised state in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as So ...
agreed to turn over control of Cambodia to the
United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia
The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) ar, سلطة الأمم المتحدة الانتقالية في كمبوديا, italics=off zh, , italics=offfrench: Autorité provisoire des Nations unies au Cambodgerussian: Орг ...
, an international peacekeeping force (with Cambodia gaining independence in 1995). Solomon also facilitated nuclear proliferation discussions between
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
and
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
. He played a role in the formation of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. initiative. He also participated in bilateral negotiations with
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
,
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
, and Japan.
President
George H. W. Bush nominated Solomon as
United States Ambassador to the Philippines
The ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Sugo ng Estados Unidos sa Pilipinas) was established on July 4, 1946, after the Philippines gained its independence from the United States.
The ambassador t ...
. He was confirmed and served in that role from September 4, 1992 until March 1, 1993.
Solomon left government service in 1993, becoming president of the
United States Institute of Peace
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is an American federal institution tasked with promoting conflict resolution and prevention worldwide. It provides research, analysis, and training to individuals in diplomacy, mediation, and other pea ...
. He served in that role until September 2012. In October of that year he returned to the RAND Corporation as a senior fellow.
Solomon published eight books, including "Mao's Revolution and the Chinese Political Culture" (1971, 1999), "A Revolution is Not a Dinner Party" (1975), "The China Factor" (1981), "Chinese Negotiating Behavior" (1985 and 2000), "Exiting Indochina" (2000), "American Negotiating Behavior" (2007), and "Peace Building" (2012). He served as a member of
Partnership for a Secure America
Partnership for a Secure America (PSA) is a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. that seeks to promote bipartisan solutions to today's critical national security and foreign policy issues. Created by former Congressman Lee H. Hamilton and f ...
's bipartisan advisory board until his death in 2017. The Partnership is a non-profit organization dedicated to rebuilding the bipartisan center in American foreign policy and national security.
Solomon received the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) from
Whittier College
Whittier College (Whittier Academy (1887–1901)) is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of fall 2022, had approximately 1,300 (undergraduate and graduate) students. It was ...
in 2012.
Death
Solomon died on March 13, 2017, at his home in
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...
from brain cancer at the age of 79.
References
External links
President Bush's nomination of Solomon as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific AffairsProfile from the United States Institute of Peace*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Solomon, Richard H.
1937 births
2017 deaths
Writers from Philadelphia
20th-century American Jews
Directors of Policy Planning
Assistant Secretaries of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
Ambassadors of the United States to the Philippines
Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni
University of Michigan faculty
RAND Corporation people
Deaths from brain cancer in the United States
Deaths from cancer in Maryland
MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences alumni
21st-century American Jews
20th-century American diplomats