Joseph Verner Reed Jr.
Joseph Verner Reed Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 17, 1937 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | September 29, 2016 (aged 78) Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, diplomat |
| Years active | 1961–2016 |
| Known for | United States Ambassador to Morocco (1981–1985); Chief of Protocol of the United States (1989–1991) |
Joseph Verner Reed Jr. (December 17, 1937 – September 29, 2016) was a prominent American banker and diplomat. He held the position of United States Ambassador to Morocco between 1981 and 1985 and later served as Chief of Protocol of the United States from 1989 until 1991.
Early life
Reed was born in New York City on December 17, 1937, carrying the name of his father, Joseph Verner Reed (1902–1973).[1][2] His grandfather on his father’s side was Verner Zevola Reed (1863–1919).[3] His mother was Permelia Pryor.[1] He had two siblings: environmental advocate Nathaniel Reed and Samuel Pryor Reed (1934–2005), who worked as a manager at Engelhard Industries.[4] Additionally, he descended from Edward Doty, an early settler in America.[3]
His upbringing took place at Denbigh Farm in Greenwich, Connecticut and at Corsair in Hobe Sound, Florida.[2][3] Reed attended Deerfield Academy, a private school in Massachusetts, and earned his degree from Yale University in 1961.[5][6][7][1][2]
Career
Reed’s professional journey began as private secretary to Eugene "Gene" Robert Black, Sr. (1898-1992), who was president of the World Bank. Subsequently, from 1963 to 1981, he served as vice president and assistant to David Rockefeller, chairman of Chase Manhattan Bank.
In 1980, Reed directed "Project Alpha," a covert initiative supported by Rockefeller designed to offer refuge in the United States to the exiled Shah of Iran. The operation also aimed to prevent the Iranian government from releasing American hostages before the presidential election that year, thereby affecting Ronald Reagan’s triumph over President Carter. Following Reagan’s victory, Reed acknowledged having “given my all” to obstructing Carter’s attempts at an “October Surprise.”
He was appointed United States Deputy Permanent Representative to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations in 1985. Two years later, in 1987, he advanced to Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Political and General Assembly Affairs.
Under President Ronald Reagan, Reed served as United States Ambassador to Morocco from 1981 through 1985. Later, during President George H. W. Bush’s administration, he held the position of Chief of Protocol of the United States between 1989 and 1991.
Reed resumed his work at the UN as Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative for Public Affairs from 1992 until 1997. From 1997 to 2004, he presided over the Staff-Management Coordination Committee at the UN. In January 2005, he was named Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser, a role he retained with reappointment in 2009. He also belonged to the Council on Foreign Relations.
His distinctions include receiving the Legion of Honour as well as The Yale Medal awarded by Yale University.
Personal life
He was wed to Marie Maude Byers, the daughter of J. Frederic Byers (1939–1977) from Philadelphia. Together, they raised two daughters: Serena (Reed) Kusserow and Electra Reed.
Reed passed away on September 29, 2016, at Greenwich Hospital located in Greenwich, Connecticut.
External links
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- 1937 births
- 2016 deaths
- Businesspeople from New York City
- People from Greenwich, Connecticut
- People from Hobe Sound, Florida
- Deerfield Academy alumni
- Yale University alumni
- World Bank people
- JPMorgan Chase people
- Ambassadors of the United States to Morocco
- American officials of the United Nations
- American recipients of the Legion of Honour
- Chiefs of protocol of the United States
- 20th-century American businesspeople