William H. G. FitzGerald

For other people with the same name, see William Fitzgerald.
William H. G. FitzGerald
United States Ambassador to Ireland
In office
June 26, 1992 – June 5, 1993
PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
Preceded byRichard A. Moore
Succeeded byJean Kennedy Smith
Personal details
Born(1909-12-23)December 23, 1909
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJanuary 5, 2006(2006-01-05) (aged 96)
Washington, D. C., U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseAnnelise Petschek
Children2
Alma materUnited States Naval Academy
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Navy
Battles/warsWorld War II

William Henry Gerald FitzGerald (December 23, 1909 – January 5, 2006) was an American investor and philanthropist, who served as United States Ambassador to Ireland from 1992 to 1993.[1][2]

Biography

FitzGerald was born in Boston in 1909, and grew up in nearby Wakefield, Massachusetts.[3] After attending the Severn School in Maryland, he entered the United States Naval Academy in 1927 and graduated in 1931.[3] He attended submarine school, and was later assigned to Pearl Harbor; he left the Navy in 1934 to attend Harvard Law School.[3] After some successful investing, FitzGerald decided to leave law school to learn corporate finance; he worked for the Borden Milk Company until being recalled by the Navy in April 1941.[3]

FitzGerald conducted submarine research during World War II, and left the Navy in 1946.[3] Until 1957, he worked in the field of metallurgy, including founding and selling a company. Former governor of Massachusetts Christian Herter then had him appointed to a position within the International Cooperation Administration.[3] In 1960, FitzGerald left the ICA to support the presidential campaign of Richard Nixon.[3] After Nixon lost the 1960 presidential election, FitzGerald returned to private business, and became chairman of a hydrofoil company; during these years he also invested in the stock market.[3] FitzGerald later held positions within the International Center of Investment Disputes (1975–1982), the President's Advisory Board on International Investments (1976–1978), and the Atlantic Council starting in 1976.[3]

After the 1988 election of George H. W. Bush, FitzGerald was appointed vice chairman of the African Development Fund.[3] In 1992, he was appointed ambassador to Ireland by President Bush.[3] His nomination caused some controversy, due to his age (FitzGerald was 80 at the time) and some misstatements he made during his confirmation hearing.[4][5] His nomination was confirmed by the Senate, and he presented his credentials to President of Ireland Mary Robinson on June 26, 1992.[6][7] He had the official title of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and served until June 5, 1993.[6]

FitzGerald died at George Washington University Hospital on January 5, 2006, of an aortic aneurysm.[8] The William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington is named in his honor.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Chiefs of Mission for Ireland". history.state.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  2. ^ "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR WILLIAM H. G. FITZGERALD" (PDF). Association for Diplomatic Studies and Interview. 14 December 1994. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Interview with William H.G. FitzGerald" (PDF). Library of Congress. December 14, 1994. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  4. ^ Clarity, James F. (June 25, 1992). "Irish Ridicule New U.S. Envoy Over Gaffes". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  5. ^ "US envoy in early 1990s whose nomination caused controversy". The Irish Times. January 14, 2006. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  6. ^ a b "William Henry Gerald FitzGerald (1909–2006)". history.state.gov. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  7. ^ "New U.S. envoy takes post, heat in Ireland". upi.com. UPI. June 26, 1992. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  8. ^ "Philanthropist William H.G. FitzGerald". The Washington Post. January 9, 2006. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Ireland
1992–1993 		Succeeded by