Frank Shakespeare
Hon Frank J. Shakespeare | |
---|---|
2nd United States Ambassador to the Holy See | |
In office January 8, 1987 – July 28, 1989 | |
President | Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush |
Preceded by | William A. Wilson |
Succeeded by | Thomas Patrick Melady |
16th United States Ambassador to Portugal | |
In office October 16, 1985 – October 4, 1986 | |
President | Ronald Reagan |
Preceded by | H. Allen Holmes |
Succeeded by | Edward Morgan Rowell |
Personal details | |
Born | New York City, New York | April 9, 1925
Nationality | American |
Political party | Republican |
Occupation | Diplomat, business executive |
Known for | United States Ambassador to Portugal, United States Ambassador to the Holy See, Honorary Trustee of The Heritage Foundation |
Francis J. Shakespeare (born April 9, 1925) is a former American diplomat and media executive. He was the president of CBS Television before entering public service. He served as the United States Ambassador to Portugal from 1985 to 1986 and the United States Ambassador to the Holy See from 1986 to 1989. He now serves as an honorary member of the board of trustees for The Heritage Foundation.
Early life and education[]
Born in New York City to Francis and Frances (née Hughes) Shakespeare and raised in the Catholic faith, Shakespeare graduated (with a B.S.) from the College of the Holy Cross in 1946.[1] He also served in the U.S. Navy from 1945 to 1946. He was later awarded honorary degrees in engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in 1975, in commercial science from Pace University in 1979 and in law from Sacred Heart University in 1985.[2]
Career[]
Shakespeare was president of CBS Television in New York from 1950 to 1969,[1] when he was appointed by President Richard Nixon as director of the United States Information Agency.[3] He returned to the private sector in 1973, and became an executive vice president of Westinghouse in New York. In 1975 he became vice chairman of RKO General.[2]
In 1981 President Ronald Reagan named him chairman of the Board for International Broadcasting,[4] the entity which oversaw the operations of Radio Free Europe. He held this position until 1985, when Reagan appointed him United States Ambassador to Portugal.[2] The following year, in September 1986, Shakespeare was appointed United States Ambassador to the Holy See.[5][6] Since 1979 Shakespeare has been an honorary member of the board of trustees for The Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based public policy research institute.[7] He also currently serves as a trustee of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[7]
Notes[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Nomination of Frank Shakespeare To Be a Member of the Board for International Broadcasting, and Designation as Chairman". Public Papers of the Presidents. 26 June 1981.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "United States Ambassador to Portugal". National Catholic Reporter. 24 July 1985.
- ^ The New York Times. 14 January 1969. p. 1. Missing or empty
|title=
(help) - ^ "Reagan Chooses EX-U.S.I.A. Head". The New York Times. 16 May 1981.
- ^ King, Wayne; Weaver Jr., Warren (30 July 1986). "New Vatican Envoy". The New York Times.
- ^ "United States Ambassador to the Holy See". Public Papers of the Presidents. 26 September 1986.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Board of Trustees". The Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
External links[]
- 1925 births
- Living people
- College of the Holy Cross alumni
- Colorado School of Mines alumni
- Pace University alumni
- Sacred Heart University alumni
- The Heritage Foundation
- United States Information Agency directors
- Knights of Malta
- Businesspeople from New York City
- Military personnel from New York City
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty people
- Ambassadors of the United States to Portugal
- Ambassadors of the United States to the Holy See
- American media executives
- New York (state) Republicans
- CBS executives
- Richard Nixon 1968 presidential campaign
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Pope Pius IX