Willie Morris (diplomat)

This article is about the British diplomat. For the American writer, see Willie Morris.

Sir Willie Morris KCMG
British Ambassador to Egypt
In office 1968–1972
Preceded by	Horace Phillip
Succeeded by	Alan Rothnie
British Ambassador to Ethiopia
In office 1972–1975
Preceded by	Alan Campbell
Succeeded by	Derek Day
British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
In office 1975–1979
Preceded by	Philip Adams
Succeeded by	Michael Scott Weir
Personal details
Born	1919
Died	13 April 1982(1982-04-13) (aged 62–63) Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Spouse	Ghislaine Margaret Morris (née Trammell)
Children	3

Sir Willie Morris KCMG (1919[1] – 13 April 1982[2]) was a British diplomat from Yorkshire. He joined the Foreign Office in 1947 and retired in 1979.[1]

Career

His first overseas assignment took him to Cairo in 1948 as a second secretary. He advanced to first secretary in the Foreign Office in 1951. From 1955 to 1960, he was first secretary in the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. There he met his wife, Ghislaine Margaret Trammell. He spent most of his career in the Middle East, and served as the UK ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1968–1972), Ethiopia (1972–1975) and Egypt (1975–1979).[3]

Morris insisted on the importance of strong ties between the United States and the Arab World, and called on Israel to recognize a Palestinian state in the West Bank. A resident of Oxford, he died there, aged 63, after a brief illness. He was survived by his wife, three sons, four siblings, and extended family.[2]

References

General

• "MORRIS, Sir Willie". Who Was Who. A & C Black. Retrieved 11 October 2008.(subscription required)

Specific

1. Leigh, David; Evans, Rob (8 June 2007). "Willie Morris". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
2. "Sir Willie Morris, A Diplomat" (fee required). The New York Times. Late City Final Edition, Section B: 6. 19 April 1982. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
3. "Previous Ambassadors". UK in Egypt: The official website for the British Embassy in Egypt. Archived from the original on 4 May 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2009.

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Sir Horace Phillips	British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia 1968–1972	Succeeded by Sir Alan Rothnie
Preceded by Sir Alan Campbell	British Ambassador to Ethiopia 1972–1975	Succeeded by Sir Derek Day
Preceded by Sir Philip Adams	British Ambassador to Egypt 1975–1979	Succeeded by Sir Michael Weir