H. Allen Holmes
Encyclopedia
Henry Allen Holmes was the United States Ambassador to Portugal
from 1982 to 1985 and a career diplomat.
, Romania
to American parents, Holmes earned his A.B. in 1954 at Princeton University
, where he was a classmate of Donald Rumsfeld
. Holmes then joined the US Marine Corps, leaving as an infantry captain in 1957 to study at the University of Paris
. He graduated with a certificate in 1958 and was hired as an intelligence research analyst for the US Department of State that same year. Holmes began his diplomatic career by joining the Foreign Service in 1959; his first posting was as a consular and political officer in Yaoundé
, Cameroon
. He continued to advance through various State Department positions for the next two decades, including posts in Rome
and Paris
, until his appointment as Ambassador to Portugal in 1982. From 1985 to 1989 Holmes served as US Assistant Secretary of State for Politico-Military Affairs. In 1989 he was appointed Ambassador at Large for Burdensharing in which he ensured balanced security responsibility among NATO members, Japan
, and other US allies. Following this he was nominated by President Clinton
to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict
. During this time his office generated a plan for the Department of Defense
to launch new national counterterrorism strategy to respond to "the gauntlet the international terrorists have thrown at our feet," but as mentioned in the 9/11 report, the paper never went beyond the Office of the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University's
School of Foreign Service and a member of Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change
.
H. Allen Holmes is married and has two children.
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...
from 1982 to 1985 and a career diplomat.
Biography
Born in BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
to American parents, Holmes earned his A.B. in 1954 at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, where he was a classmate of Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
. Holmes then joined the US Marine Corps, leaving as an infantry captain in 1957 to study at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
. He graduated with a certificate in 1958 and was hired as an intelligence research analyst for the US Department of State that same year. Holmes began his diplomatic career by joining the Foreign Service in 1959; his first posting was as a consular and political officer in Yaoundé
Yaoundé
-Transportation:Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport is a major civilian hub, while nearby Yaoundé Airport is used by the military. Railway lines run west to the port city of Douala and north to N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city; particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods...
, Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
. He continued to advance through various State Department positions for the next two decades, including posts in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, until his appointment as Ambassador to Portugal in 1982. From 1985 to 1989 Holmes served as US Assistant Secretary of State for Politico-Military Affairs. In 1989 he was appointed Ambassador at Large for Burdensharing in which he ensured balanced security responsibility among NATO members, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and other US allies. Following this he was nominated by President 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...
to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict
Office of the Secretary of Defense
The Office of the Secretary of Defense is a headquarters-level staff of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. It is the principal civilian staff element of the Secretary of Defense, and it assists the Secretary in carrying out authority, direction and control of the Department...
. During this time his office generated a plan for the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
to launch new national counterterrorism strategy to respond to "the gauntlet the international terrorists have thrown at our feet," but as mentioned in the 9/11 report, the paper never went beyond the Office of the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University's
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...
School of Foreign Service and a member of Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change
Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change
Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change was an ad hoc organization of 27 retired and United States military officers and Foreign Service Officers who supported Democratic U.S. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts against incumbent Republican George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election.The...
.
H. Allen Holmes is married and has two children.
External links
- U.S. policy on arms control, 1986 Address to Council on Foreign Relations
- Civil Affairs: Reflections of the Future, 1997 address to Worldwide Civil Affairs Conference
- Military Operations in the Post-Cold War Era, 1997 address to Intelligence in Partnership Conference