Gerald S. McGowan
Encyclopedia
Gerald Stephen "Jerry" McGowan (born September 3, 1946 Birmingham, Michigan
) is an American lawyer, and diplomat. He was appointed United States Ambassador to Portugal
on November 10, 1997, and was sworn in by Vice President Al Gore
. He presented his credentials in Lisbon, Portugal on March 19, 1998 and left his post on July 3, 2001.
to Harry and Mary McGowan, where he attended Brother Rice High School
.
While working towards his B.S. from Georgetown University
and a Law Degree from Georgetown Law, Jerry served as a clerk to Michigan Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kavanagh, and as an assistant to the late U.S. Senator Phillip Hart.
He also served in the Vietnam War
as a United States Army
1st Lieutenant in 1970-1971. A classmate at Georgetown was then class President and eventual United States President, Bill Clinton
.
McGowan is a career telecommunications industry lawyer and is a founding partner of the Washington D.C. law firm Lukas, McGowan, Nace & Gutierrez.
McGowan played an important role in negotiations between the US administration and the Portuguese leadership, during the East Timor
struggle for independence from Indonesia
in late 1999 and early 2000.
A telecommunications industry veteran, McGowan currently sits on the board of directors of Portugal Telecom
.
Birmingham, Michigan
Birmingham is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan and an affluent suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103...
) is an American lawyer, and diplomat. He was appointed United States Ambassador to Portugal
United States Ambassador to Portugal
This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to Portugal.Bilateral diplomatic relations between the United States and Portugal date from the earliest years of the United States. Following the Revolutionary War, Portugal was the first neutral country to recognize the United States. On February...
on November 10, 1997, and was sworn in by Vice President Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
. He presented his credentials in Lisbon, Portugal on March 19, 1998 and left his post on July 3, 2001.
Life
Jerry was born and raised in Birmingham, MichiganBirmingham, Michigan
Birmingham is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan and an affluent suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103...
to Harry and Mary McGowan, where he attended Brother Rice High School
Brother Rice High School (Michigan)
Brother Rice High School is a Roman Catholic all-boys non-residential college prep school with approximately 700 students located in Bloomfield Township, Michigan . Until 1993 its address was in neighboring Birmingham, Michigan's postal district. In 1993 the U.S...
.
While working towards his B.S. from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
and a Law Degree from Georgetown Law, Jerry served as a clerk to Michigan Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kavanagh, and as an assistant to the late U.S. Senator Phillip Hart.
He also served in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
as a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
1st Lieutenant in 1970-1971. A classmate at Georgetown was then class President and eventual United States President, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
McGowan is a career telecommunications industry lawyer and is a founding partner of the Washington D.C. law firm Lukas, McGowan, Nace & Gutierrez.
McGowan played an important role in negotiations between the US administration and the Portuguese leadership, during the East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
struggle for independence from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
in late 1999 and early 2000.
A telecommunications industry veteran, McGowan currently sits on the board of directors of Portugal Telecom
Portugal Telecom
Portugal Telecom is the largest telecommunications service provider in Portugal. Although it operates mainly in Portugal and Brazil, it has also a significant presence in Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Timor-Leste, Angola, Kenya, the People's Republic of China, and São Tomé and...
.