AKA Walter John Stoessel, Jr.

Born: 24-Jan-1920
Birthplace: Manhattan, KS
Died: 9-Dec-1986
Location of death: Washington, DC
Cause of death: Cancer - Leukemia
Remains: Buried, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Diplomat

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Ambassador to the USSR, Germany, Poland

Military service: US Navy (intelligence officer, WWII, 1944-46)

Developed a "rare blood disease similar to leukemia", which some conspiracy theorists feel is the result of irradiation or some kind of beam ray.

In December 1969 as Ambassador to Poland, Stoessel made the initial, discreet contact with the Chinese Charg� at Warsaw that eventually led to normalizing of relations between the United States and China.

Father: (US Army cavalry officer, insurance executive)
Wife: Mary Ann (three children)

    University: Beverly Hills High School, Beverly Hills, CA (1937)
    University: Lausanne University, Switzerland (1939-40)
    University: BA, Stanford University (1941)
    University: Russian Institute, Columbia University (studied 1949)

    US Deputy Secretary of State (1982)
    US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (1981-82)
    US Ambassador to Germany (1976-81)
    US Ambassador to the USSR (1974-76)
    US Ambassador to Poland (1968-72)
    US State Department Consul, Paris (1956-59)
    US State Department FSO at Bad-Nauheim, Germany (1950-52)
    US State Department Vice Consul, Moscow (1947-49)
    US State Department Vice Consul, Caracas, Venezuela (1942-44)
    American Academy of Diplomacy Charter Member
    Council on Foreign Relations

Appears in articles:
Diplomat's Fondest MemoryPQXLM China Breakthrough, 24-Sep-1982, DETAILS: Bernard Gwertzman, BYLINE: The New York Times

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