David E. Mark
Encyclopedia
David Everett Mark was a Career Minister in the United States Foreign Service
.
Born in New York City
to Leslie Mark (ne Lazarus Macht) and Lena Tyor Mark, Mark graduated from Columbia University
, and while serving in the Army Air Corps
during World War II
, he completed his studies at Columbia Law School
. He joined the U.S. Foreign Service
in 1946, serving first in South Korea, Germany, Finland, Romania, and Moscow in the 1950s.
Mark met his wife, Elisabeth Ann Lewis, in Moscow in 1958 where she headed the Anglo-America
n school
. They married in Washington, D.C.
in 1959, and moved to Geneva
, Switzerland
where Mark joined the delegation to the Test Ban Treaty
negotiations.
In the early 1960s, Mark served in various capacities in INR at the U.S. State Department
until his appointment as United States Ambassador to Burundi
from 1974 to 1977. From 1979 to 1981 he served again at the State Department as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. After retirement from government in 1981, he consulted on international affairs
for ALCOA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
.
Mark spoke fluent Russian
, German
, and French
, and was conversant in Portuguese
, Spanish
, Italian
and Japanese
. With the break-up of the Soviet Union
in 1989 and the dearth of Russian linguists, Mark was asked to help establish the American Embassy in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia
. He returned to Tbilisi
in 1992 to participate in helping the Georgians write their Constitution
.
During the 1990s until his death, Mark was an active member of the Council on Foreign Relations
in New York City. He volunteered every week for nine years as a guide and translator
for Big Apple Greeters of New York. He worked full time as a licensed New York City tour guide for Gray Line
/CoachUSA. When he was not volunteering and touring on the Gray Line bus tours, Mark taught a variety of courses as an adjunct professor of global affairs at New York University
.
Ambassador Mark died in a car accident in 2005 at age 81 in Montana.
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
.
Born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Leslie Mark (ne Lazarus Macht) and Lena Tyor Mark, Mark graduated from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, and while serving in the Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he completed his studies at Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
. He joined the U.S. Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
in 1946, serving first in South Korea, Germany, Finland, Romania, and Moscow in the 1950s.
Mark met his wife, Elisabeth Ann Lewis, in Moscow in 1958 where she headed the Anglo-America
Anglo-America
Anglo-America is a region in the Americas in which English is a main language, or one which has significant British historical, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural links...
n school
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
. They married in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1959, and moved to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
where Mark joined the delegation to the Test Ban Treaty
Test Ban Treaty
Test Ban Treaty may refer to:* Partial Test Ban Treaty, adopted in 1963* Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, adopted in 1996...
negotiations.
In the early 1960s, Mark served in various capacities in INR at the U.S. State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
until his appointment as United States Ambassador to Burundi
United States Ambassador to Burundi
The part of Africa that is now Burundi and Rwanda was a feudal monarchy headed by a mwami and a ganwa, a feudal hierarchy of Tutsi nobles and gentry until 1890. In that year the Germans attacked the nation and attempted to subdue it with armed force. Eventually the Germans backed an attempted coup...
from 1974 to 1977. From 1979 to 1981 he served again at the State Department as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. After retirement from government in 1981, he consulted on international affairs
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
for ALCOA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
.
Mark spoke fluent Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and was conversant in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. With the break-up of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1989 and the dearth of Russian linguists, Mark was asked to help establish the American Embassy in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. He returned to Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
in 1992 to participate in helping the Georgians write their Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
.
During the 1990s until his death, Mark was an active member of the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
in New York City. He volunteered every week for nine years as a guide and translator
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
for Big Apple Greeters of New York. He worked full time as a licensed New York City tour guide for Gray Line
Gray Line Worldwide
Gray Line Worldwide operates local sightseeing tours across the world using trolley coaches, double-deckers and standard single deck coaches. It also offers charter services, airport transfers and convention services....
/CoachUSA. When he was not volunteering and touring on the Gray Line bus tours, Mark taught a variety of courses as an adjunct professor of global affairs at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.
Ambassador Mark died in a car accident in 2005 at age 81 in Montana.