Donald McHenry

Donald McHenry
Born	(1936-10-13) October 13, 1936 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Diplomat, professor
Years active	1963–present
Known for	United States Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1979–1981)

Donald Franchot McHenry (born October 13, 1936) is a retired American diplomat who held the position of United States Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations from September 1979 until January 1981.

Biography

McHenry was born in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree at Illinois State University in 1957, earned a master's degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1959, and later undertook doctoral studies at Georgetown University.

His professional journey began at the United States Department of State in 1963, where he served for eight years before transitioning to roles at prominent research institutions—the Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations, and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace—between 1971 and 1976, concentrating on foreign policy research.

In 1976, McHenry participated in President Carter's State Department transition team and was appointed as the U.S. Deputy Representative to the United Nations Security Council in March 1977. A significant moment in his career occurred in August 1979 when he directed U.S. negotiations during the diplomatic episode involving Soviet ballerina Lyudmila Vlasova, facilitating her voluntary exit amid Cold War diplomatic complexities.

After Ambassador Andrew Young resigned, President Carter named McHenry as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in September 1979.

McHenry received an honorary L.H.D. degree from Bates College in 1986 and is recognized as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His corporate governance experience includes board memberships at major companies such as The Coca-Cola Company (since 1981), AT&T Corporation, and International Paper. Presently, he holds the position of Professor of Diplomacy and International Affairs at Georgetown University.

He is actively involved with organizations like the Partnership for a Secure America, which advocates for bipartisan approaches to national security, and the Global Leadership Foundation, providing discreet counsel to support democratic leadership worldwide through experienced former officials.

In 2004, McHenry joined fellow retired diplomats and military leaders in publicly challenging the Bush administration’s foreign policy strategies and opposing the Iraq War as part of the Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change group.

Awards and honors

• McHenry was honored as a Laureate of the The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and received the Order of Lincoln, the highest accolade bestowed by Illinois, presented by the Governor on June 19, 2021.