Theodore E. Cummings (December 25, 1907 – March 30, 1982) was an Austrian-born American diplomat. A non-career appointee, he served as the American ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Austria until his death on March 30, 1982.
A longtime friend of
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 ...
, Cummings was considered a member of his Kitchen Cabinet.
He had known Reagan for a long time before he became president. Cummings had served in Reagan's governor administration as commissioner, California Commission on Judicial Qualification, California Hospital Commissioner and was a member of the Commission on Health Services Industry of the Cost of Living Council.
Biography
Cummings was a native of Austria. He was a resident of
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...
, at the time of his death from cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was Chairman of Cedars-Sinai from 1954 until his appointment as Ambassador. Prior to that, he opened the first Food Giant supermarket, in 1944, in Long Beach and then went on to build and develop a string of stores called Builders Emporiums. He sold his holdings in 1968 for $52.5 million to Vornado Inc., of
Garfield, New Jersey
Garfield is a city (New Jersey), city in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 30,487,Los Angeles, California on March 30, 1982, at the age of 74.