Robert Powell Smith (March 5, 1929January 20, 2012) was an American diplomat.

Early life

Smith was born on March 5, 1929, to parents Powell Augusta and Estella M. Smith.

Military career

Smith served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

Diplomatic career

Smith was appointed by President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

on July 23, 1974, to the position of

United States Ambassador to Malta This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Malta. Initially a part of the British Empire, Malta was granted full independence as the State of Malta on September 21, 1964. The United States recognized the new nation and established ful ...

. The presentation of his credentials for this position occurred on September 24, 1974. The termination of this mission occurred on October 29, 1976. Smith was then appointed by President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

on October 4, 1976, to the position of

United States Ambassador to Ghana The following is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Ghana. The embassy in Accra was established March 6, 1957, with Donald W. Lamm in charge as chargé d'affaires. President Joe Biden nominated career US diplomat and Acting Assistan ...

. The presentation of his credentials for this position occurred on December 17, 1976. The termination of this mission occurred on May 7, 1979. Smith's final diplomatic appointment was made by President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

on July 2, 1979, for the position of

United States Ambassador to Liberia This is a record of ambassadors of the United States to Liberia. Liberia, as a nation, had its beginnings in 1821 when groups of free blacks from the United States emigrated from the U.S. and began establishing colonies on the coast under the d ...

. The presentation of his credentials for this position occurred on August 6, 1979. The termination of this final mission occurred on January 15, 1981.

Personal life

Smith resided in both

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Death

Smith died on January 20, 2012. He was interred in the

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

References

1929 births 2012 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Malta Ambassadors of the United States to Ghana Ambassadors of the United States to Liberia Burials at Arlington National Cemetery 20th-century American diplomats {{US-diplomat-stub