Robert Marion Sayre (August 18, 1924 – March 31, 2016) was a United States State Department official and ambassador to Brazil, Panama and Uruguay. A career foreign service officer specializing in Latin American affairs, Sayre served as the

United States Ambassador to Uruguay The following is a list of United States ambassadors, or other chiefs of mission, to Uruguay. The current title given by the United States State Department to this position is Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. See also * U ...

from 1968 to 1969, Ambassador to Panama from 1969 to 1974, and Ambassador to Brazil from 1978 to 1981. He also held the position of

Inspector General An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general". Australia The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory off ...

of the U.S. State Department from 1974 to 1978.

Early life

He was born in

Hillsboro, Oregon Hillsboro ( ) is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Situated in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city hosts many high-technology companies, ...

, on August 18, 1924. He served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946, during World War II. In 1949, Sayre earned a bachelor's degree from Willamette University in

Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...

, followed by master's degree in 1960 from

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

. He then graduated from

George Washington University Law School The George Washington University Law School (GW Law) is the law school of George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. Established in 1865, GW Law is the oldest top law school in the national capital. GW Law offers the largest range of cou ...

with a JD in 1956.

Career

Sayre started at the State Department in 1949 as an intern. He then worked his way up in the State Department, serving in various roles. These included serving on the United States Security Council from 1964 to 1965, as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs from 1965 to 1967, and then as Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs from 1967 to 1968. He served as the U.S. ambassador to Uruguay from 1968 to 1969, and to Panama from 1969 to 1974. On February 9, 1978, President Jimmy Carter nominated Sayre to serve as the ambassador to Brazil. Sayre served as ambassador to Brazil from 1978 to 1981, followed by United States Coordinator for Counterterrorism from 1982 to 1984. He also served as the Inspector General of the Foreign Service. Sayre died on March 31, 2016, in Fairfax, Virginia, at the age of 91.

References

External links

American Academy of Diplomacy
, - , - 1924 births 2016 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Brazil Ambassadors of the United States to Panama Ambassadors of the United States to Uruguay United States Army personnel of World War II George Washington University Law School alumni People from Hillsboro, Oregon Stanford University alumni United States Army soldiers United States Department of State officials United States Foreign Service personnel Willamette University alumni United States Coordinators for Counterterrorism Military personnel from Oregon {{US-diplomat-stub