John Negroponte

John Negroponte
Name	John Negroponte
Caption	Official portrait, 2007
Office	United States Deputy Secretary of State
President	George W. Bush
Term start	February 13, 2007
Term end	January 20, 2009
Predecessor	Robert Zoellick
Successor	James B. Steinberg
Office1	1st Director of National Intelligence
President1	George W. Bush
Term start1	April 21, 2005
Term end1	February 13, 2007
Predecessor1	Office established
Successor1	John Michael McConnell
Office2	United States Ambassador to the United Nations
President2	George W. Bush
Term start2	September 19, 2001
Term end2	June 23, 2004
Predecessor2	James B. Cunningham (Acting)
Successor2	John Danforth
Office3	United States Ambassador to Honduras
President3	Ronald Reagan
Term start3	November 22, 1981
Term end3	August 1, 1985
Predecessor3	Jack R. Binns
Successor3	John Arthur Ferch
Birth date	21 July 1939
Birth place	London, England, United Kingdom
Party	Republican
Spouse	Diana Villiers, 1987
Alma mater	Phillips Exeter Academy, Yale University
Occupation	Diplomat, Intelligence officer

John Negroponte is an American diplomat and intelligence official who served in numerous high-profile roles across several Republican administrations. His lengthy career included ambassadorships to Honduras and the United Nations, the inaugural Director of National Intelligence, and United States Deputy Secretary of State. Negroponte's tenure was often marked by significant geopolitical events, including the Cold War in Central America and the post-September 11 attacks security landscape.

Early life and education

Born in London to a Greek shipping magnate, he moved to the United States as a youth. He attended the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire before enrolling at Yale University. At Yale, he was a classmate of future President George W. Bush and graduated in 1960, later studying at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He entered the United States Foreign Service in 1960, with early postings in Vietnam during the Vietnam War and later in Greece.

Diplomatic career

Negroponte's early diplomatic postings included service on the National Security Council under Henry Kissinger. His most controversial assignment was as United States Ambassador to Honduras from 1981 to 1985, a period when the country was a key base for Reagan administration operations against the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. He later served as United States Ambassador to Mexico and then as United States Ambassador to the Philippines during a period of political transition following the People Power Revolution. From 1997 to 2001, he was the United States Ambassador to Greece.

Director of National Intelligence

In 2005, following the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, Negroponte was appointed by President George W. Bush as the first-ever Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Tasked with overseeing and coordinating the sixteen agencies of the United States Intelligence Community, including the CIA and the FBI, his tenure focused on reforming intelligence sharing post-September 11 attacks and managing threats during the Iraq War. He worked closely with CIA Director Porter Goss and his successor, General Michael Hayden.

Deputy Secretary of State

Negroponte was confirmed as United States Deputy Secretary of State under Secretary Condoleezza Rice in 2007. In this role at the United States Department of State, he was a principal advisor on a wide range of foreign policy issues, including the war in Afghanistan, nuclear negotiations with North Korea, and diplomatic efforts in the Middle East. He often represented the department in high-level discussions with allies and before the United States Congress.

Later roles and retirement

After leaving the State Department in 2009, Negroponte joined the McLarty Associates global strategy firm. He has served on various corporate and non-profit boards, including the Council on Foreign Relations and the Asia Society. He remains a frequent commentator on foreign policy, intelligence, and national security matters, occasionally testifying before congressional committees like the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Personal life

Negroponte is married to British-born author and philanthropist Diana Villiers Negroponte. The couple has five children. He is fluent in French, Spanish, and Greek. An avid sailor, he has participated in several trans-Atlantic races. His brother, Nicholas Negroponte, is the founder of the MIT Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Category:American diplomats Category:United States Deputy Secretaries of State Category:Directors of National Intelligence Category:1939 births Category:Living people