William Caldwell Harrop (born February 19, 1929) is an American diplomat. Harrop served for 39 years as a
Foreign Service Officer, with postings as
United States ambassador
Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the country's diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S ...
to
Guinea,
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
...
and
the Seychelles,
the Congo (Kinshasa), and
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
.
Early life and education
Harrop was born in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
on February 19, 1929.
[Ambassador William C. Harrop](_blank)
(interviewed by Charles Stuart Kennedy), Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project (1998). At age ten, he moved with his family to
New Brunswick, New Jersey, where his father, a research physician, worked for
E. R. Squibb & Sons.
Harrop attended
Deerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy is an elite coeducational preparatory school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1797, it is one of the oldest secondary schools in the United States. It is a member of the Eight Schools Association, the Ten Schools Admis ...
in
Deerfield, Massachusetts
Deerfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Settled near the Connecticut River in the 17th century during the colonial era, the population was 5,090 as of the 2020 census. Deerfield is part of the Springfield, Massachu ...
.
He received his
A.B.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
from
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
in 1950.
After graduating from Harvard, Harrop unsuccessfully looked for editorial work with various newspapers.
At the invitation of
Frank Boyden
Frank Learoyd Boyden (September 16, 1879 – April 25, 1972) was headmaster of Deerfield Academy from 1902 to 1968.
Early life
Boyden was born at his family's homestead in Foxborough, Massachusetts. His maternal grandfather was a missionary in ...
, the headmaster of Deerfield Academy, Harrop spent about five months teaching at the school before entering the
Marine Corps
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...
, in which he served during the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
.
After returning to the United States, Harrop took and passed the Foreign Service exam in 1952.
At the time, Harrop was still interested in journalism, and used the
G.I. Bill
The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...
to earn a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in journalism from the
University of Missouri School of Journalism
The Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia is one of the oldest formal journalism schools in the world. The school provides academic education and practical training in all areas of journalism and strategic commu ...
in
Columbia, Missouri.
Harrop then accepted an appointment to the
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is the primary personnel system used by the diplomatic service of the United States federal government, under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of over 13,000 professionals carry ...
; according to an oral history given by Harrop, he "was one of a considerable group of people who were delayed in entering the Foreign Service for a couple of years by Senator
Joseph McCarthy."
According to Harrop, "Accepting the appointment was a difficult decision for me. I had heard nothing from the Department for months, and was suddenly told over the phone that if I would appear within nine days in Washington I would receive an appointment and would go to
Palermo."
Foreign Service career
Harrop entered the Foreign Service in a year when the new class of diplomats did not attend the standard
A-100 orientation and training course at the
Foreign Service Institute.
One of Harrop's sons was born the day before he left for Italy for his first assignment, at the U.S. consulate general in Palermo,
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
in 1953.
This consulate would have ordinarily had only twelve staffers, but because of the
Refugee Relief Act
On August 7, 1953, President Eisenhower signed the Refugee Relief Act of 1953, also known as the Emergency Migration Act, into law to provide relief for certain refugees, orphans, and other purposes. This act was mainly intended for people from Sou ...
had exploded to at least eighty staffers.
Harrop was one of several vice consuls there.
Harrop helped administer the Refugee Relief Program on the island, where at the time
the Mafia
"Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...
held great sway.
Harrop served in Palermo from 1954 to October 1955, when he was transferred to the
U.S. Embassy in Rome to be assistant commercial
attaché
In diplomacy, an attaché is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified accord ...
there under Ambassador
Clare Boothe Luce
Clare Boothe Luce ( Ann Clare Boothe; March 10, 1903 – October 9, 1987) was an American writer, politician, U.S. ambassador, and public conservative figure. A versatile author, she is best known for her 1936 hit play '' The Women'', which ha ...
and, later,
James David Zellerbach.
Harrop left Rome to return to Washington in the late fall of 1958.
According to Harrop's oral history years later, "I came back under protest because by that time I had become fascinated with energy questions and with the politics of energy --
atomic energy Atomic energy or energy of atoms is energy carried by atoms. The term originated in 1903 when Ernest Rutherford began to speak of the possibility of atomic energy. Isaac Asimov, ''Atom: Journey Across the Sub-Atomic Cosmos'', New York:1992 Plume, ...
particularly. I was asked to come back to be in the Office of Personnel in the State Department, handling personnel assignments. I sent back an imprudent
cable
Cable may refer to:
Mechanical
* Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof
* Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
to say that if I had wanted to be in personnel work I would have joined
Westinghouse, not the State Department. ... I was told in no uncertain terms that if I wanted to continue my career in the State Department, I should come back and work in Personnel. So I did."
At the Office of Personnel, Harrop was initially a placement officer and later deputy director of the Office of Washington Assignments.
Around 1961, Harrop left Personnel and moved to the regional affairs office of the
Bureau of European Affairs
In the United States Government, the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR) is part of the United States Department of State, charged with implementing U.S. foreign policy and promoting U.S. interests in Europe and Eurasia (which it defin ...
, where he replaced
Arthur A. Hartman
Arthur Adair Hartman (March 12, 1926 – March 16, 2015) was an American career diplomat who served as United States Ambassador to France, Ambassador to France under Jimmy Carter and United States Ambassador to Russia, Ambassador to the Soviet Uni ...
as a desk officer focused on
EURATOM.
In early 1962, Harrop was transferred (at
Sheldon B. Vance's request) to the
Bureau of African Affairs
In the United States government, the Bureau of African Affairs (AF) is part of the U.S. Department of State and is charged with advising the Secretary of State on matters of Sub-Saharan Africa. The bureau was established in 1958. It is headed b ...
, where he was responsible for economic matters in
the Congo (then in the midst of the
Cold War-era
Congo Crisis
The Congo Crisis (french: Crise congolaise, link=no) was a period of political upheaval and conflict between 1960 and 1965 in the Republic of the Congo (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The crisis began almost immediately after ...
) and the
Katanga secession.
In 1963, Harrop went to
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
to become a mid-grade economic officer and deputy to the Economic
Counselor there.
In Brussels, Harrop served under ambassadors
Douglas MacArthur II
Douglas MacArthur II (July 5, 1909 – November 15, 1997) was an American diplomat. During his diplomatic career, he served as United States ambassador to Japan, List of ambassadors of the United States to Belgium, Belgium, List of ambassadors of ...
and later
Ridgway Knight; he continued to follow African matters and did work relating to Belgian commerce.
In 1966, Harrop left Brussels and went to the Congo, spent two years as principal officer at the U.S. consulate in
Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi (former names: ( French), (Dutch)) is the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the country's southeasternmost part, along the border with Zambia. The capital and principal city of the Haut-Katang ...
(the name of which had recently changed from
Elisabethville
Lubumbashi (former names: (French), (Dutch)) is the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the country's southeasternmost part, along the border with Zambia. The capital and principal city of the Haut-Katanga ...
).
The region was extremely dangerous at the time; Harrop would arrange for
C-130
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
s to be flown down to
Katanga during the period of greatest tension.
In 1968, Harrop left the Congo after being assigned to do graduate work for a year at the
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (formerly the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs) is a professional public policy school at Princeton University. The school provides an array of comprehensive course ...
at
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 ...
as part of a "Mid Career Program"
sabbatical.
Harrop returned in Washington, D.C. to become director of Regional African Affairs at the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence Research, serving there from 1969 to 1971, under
Ray S. Cline
Ray Steiner Cline (June 4, 1918 – March 16, 1996) was an official at the United States Central Intelligence Agency and is best known for being the chief CIA analyst during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Early life and family
Ray S. Cline was born i ...
, then the assistant secretary for intelligence and research.
Harrop also became involved in State Department personnel matters; he was elected to a position on the board of the
American Foreign Service Association
American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), established in 1924, is the professional association of the United States Foreign Service. With over 15,000 dues-paying members, American Foreign Service Association represents 28,000 active and retir ...
, and later became chairman, taking a yearlong leave without pay from the State Department in the year 1971.
Harrop then returned to the Department of State in 1972-1973 to join the
Policy Planning Council.
Harrop left Policy Planning when he was chosen by
U.S. Ambassador to Australia Marshall Green
Marshall Green (January 27, 1916 – June 6, 1998) was an American diplomat whose career focused on East Asia. Green was the senior American diplomat in South Korea at the time of the 1960 April Revolution, and was United States Ambassador to Ind ...
to serve as
deputy chief of mission (DCM) in
Canberra.
Harrop served as DCM in Australia from 1973 to 1975.
Harrop returned to the U.S. and was on home leave when he was appointed
U.S. Ambassador to Guinea.
Harrop served in this post from May 29, 1975 to July 15, 1977.
[William Caldwell Harrop (1929-)](_blank)
United States Department of State, Office of the Historian. As ambassador in
Conakry, Guinea, Harrop faced hostility from President
Ahmed Sékou Touré, leader of a radical,
pan-Africanist
Pan-Africanism is a worldwide movement that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all Indigenous and diaspora peoples of African ancestry. Based on a common goal dating back to the Atlantic slave trade, the movement ext ...
movement.
Harrop's twelve-member mission was also dramatically outnumbered by the Soviet mission, which had 1200 people, and the Chinese mission, which had 700 people.
Key issues handled during Harrop's tenure in Conakry were Soviet overflights and bases in the country and U.S. humanitarian aid in Guinea.
In 1977, Harrop left Guinea and returned to the Bureau of African Affairs to become principle deputy to
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Richard M. Moose.
At the Bureau of African Affairs, Harrop spent most time of issues relating to
Zaire
Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...
and the
Horn of Africa (particularly the
Ogaden War between Ethiopia and Somalia), while Moose handled most matters relating to
southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number o ...
(South Africa, Rhodesia, Namibia, and Angola).
Harrop left the Bureau of African Affairs in 1980
and became
U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, serving from July 10, 1980 to September 1, 1983.
(Harrop concurrently served as
U.S. Ambassador to the Seychelles, from August 26, 1980 to September 22, 1983).
Kenya was then led by President
Daniel arap Moi
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi ( ; 2 September 1924 – 4 February 2020) was a Kenyan politician who served as the second president of Kenya from 1978 to 2002. He was the country's longest-serving president. Moi previously served as the third vice ...
. Key issues dealt with by Harrop in this position include the application of the
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to U.S. commercial ventures in Kenya; the use of Kenyan coasts by
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
ships; territorial disputes between Kenya and Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania; and human rights in the country.
Harrop returned to Washington to become Inspector General of the Department of State and the Foreign Service, serving from December 12, 1983, to August 27, 1986.
Harrop was part of a group of three diplomats appointed by Secretary of State
George P. Shultz
George Pratt Shultz (; December 13, 1920February 6, 2021) was an American economist, businessman, diplomat and statesman. He served in various positions under two different Republican presidents and is one of the only two persons to have held fou ...
as part of a new "management team," the others being
Ronald I. Spiers (Under Secretary for Management) and
Alfred (Roy) Atherton (Director General of the Foreign Service).
As inspector general, Harrop reformed the office's investigative and auditing functions and oversaw investigations relating to allegations of corruption and sexual harassment.
Harrop oversaw investigations related to
Faith Whittlesey
Faith Amy Whittlesey (
Ryan; February 21, 1939 – May 21, 2018) was an American Republican politician, White House Senior Staff member, and author. She was noted for her efforts to communicate Ronald Reagan's entire policy agenda to U.S. opini ...
,
ambassador to Switzerland.
He also clashes with Senator
Jesse Helms, who Harrop stated in a later oral history was "determined to destroy the institution of the Inspector General of the Foreign Service" and carried out a "relentless campaign against career Foreign Service professionals."
While Harrop insisted on treating this as some personal vendetta by Senator Helms, the reality is that the Helms amendment was fully supported by the entire Committee on Foreign Relations, the House Foreign Affairs and Government Operations committees. In 1982 the GAO has issued a report pointing out that an Inspector General who was a Foreign Service officer seeking an onward assignment and who was, like Harrop, a key participant in management decisions lacked the requisite independence to meet US Government standards to conduct audits and investigations. The GAO quoted a member of Harrop's own staff who told the GAO "'the name of the game' in the IG office is making contacts to try to get a good assignment after leaving that office. It was his opinion that, as a result, no one in the IG office wants to push big problems through the system because it would be like 'shooting yourself in the foot' (that is, jeopardizing your chances of getting a good assignment after the IG tour)." GAO, State Department’s Office of Inspector General Should Be More Independent and Effective, AFMD-83-56 (Washington, D.C.: June 2, 1982).
One sees the problem in Harrop's subsequent career. He lobbied hard for another ambassadorship and was rewarded when he was recommended as the next ambassador to Zaire. He served from January 28, 1988 to May 18, 1991.
Harrop's confirmation was difficult, as U.S. policy in Congo was highly controversial and Helms placed a
hold
Hold may refer to:
Physical spaces
* Hold (ship), interior cargo space
* Baggage hold, cargo space on an airplane
* Stronghold, a castle or other fortified place
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Hold (musical term), a pause, also called a Ferm ...
on Harrop's nomination.
After finally being confirmed, Harrop went to
Kinshasa, then dominated by General
Mobutu Sese Seko.
After returning to the United States, Harrop was informed that he was one of the candidates for
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
or
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
.
Eventually, Harrop was appointed ambassador to Israel, his final posting; Harrop succeeded
William Andreas Brown
William Andreas Brown (born September 7, 1930) served as the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand from 1985 to 1988 and U.S. Ambassador to Israel from 1988 to 1992. He also served as the last Chief of mission ( Chargé d'affaires) of the U.S. Embassy to ...
in the post.
He served from January 21, 1992 to May 7, 1993.
Important events during Harrop's tenure included the
Dotan affair, the recognition of the
PLO by Israel for the first time, and the beginning of the talks that led to the
Oslo I Accord.
Post-retirement
In 2004, Harrop was among 27 retired diplomats and military commanders who publicly said the administration of President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
did not understand the world and was unable to handle "in either style or substance" the responsibilities of global leadership. On June 16, 2004 the
Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change (DMCC) was an ''ad hoc'' organization of 27 retired and United States military officers and Foreign Service Officers who supported Democratic U.S. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts against incumbent ...
issued a statement against the
Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror
, image ...
.
Harrop is a member of the Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs and a director of the
American Academy of Diplomacy
The American Academy of Diplomacy is a private, nonprofit, non-partisan, elected organization whose active membership is limited to men and women who have held positions of high responsibility in crafting and implementing American foreign policy. ...
, the Senior Living Foundation of the American Foreign Service, American Diplomacy Publishers, the
Henry L. Stimson Center, and the Washington Humane Society.
[Ambassador William C. Harrop](_blank)
University of Charleston (retrieved July 31, 2015). Harrop is also chair of the Foreign Affairs Museum Council, which aims to establish a museum of U.S. diplomacy.
Harrop was for eight years the president of the
Spring Valley-
Wesley Heights Citizens Association in the
District of Columbia
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
.
Harrop received the 2015 Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy Award of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA).
2015 AFSA Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy Winner: Amb. William C. Harrop (ret.)
/ref>
Harrop was one of five former U.S. ambassadors to Israel from administrations of both parties (and two additional former Under Secretaries of State) to sign a letter in July 2015 calling upon Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
to approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a comprehensive nuclear agreement, with Iran.[James Fallows]
A Guide to the Iran Nuclear Deal's Supporters and Opponents
The Atlantic (July 28, 2015).[Letter to Congressional Leadership from Former Under Secretaries of State and former American Ambassadors to Israel on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action](_blank)
(July 27, 2015).
Personal life
Harrop is married to Ann Harrop ( née Delavan); they have four sons and nine grandchildren. He speaks French and Italian.
References
, -
, -
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrop, William Caldwell
1929 births
Ambassadors of the United States to Guinea
Ambassadors of the United States to Israel
Ambassadors of the United States to Kenya
Ambassadors of the United States to Seychelles
Ambassadors of the United States to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Deerfield Academy alumni
Harvard College alumni
Living people
Missouri School of Journalism alumni
People from New Brunswick, New Jersey
The Stimson Center
United States Foreign Service personnel
20th-century American diplomats