Anthony Boyce Akers (October 19, 1914 – April 1, 1976) was an American attorney, diplomat, and political candidate who served as the
United States Ambassador to New Zealand
The United States has maintained a consular presence in New Zealand since 1838. The first consul was James Reddy Clendon. Born in England, Clendon was a ship owner and merchant who bought land and settled in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. In ...
from 1961 to 1963.
Early life and education
Akers was born in
Charlotte, Texas, and attended the
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...
. He later graduated from
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School (CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City.
The school was founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School. The un ...
.
Career
Enlisting in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
in 1940, he served in the
Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...
as lieutenant commander of a
PT boat
A PT boat (short for patrol torpedo boat) was a motor torpedo boat used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, and it was valued for its maneuverability and speed. However, PT boats were hampe ...
, and was awarded a
Silver Star
The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...
and two Presidential citations.
He was one of four officers who became the fictionalized heroes of
William L. White
William L. White is a writer on addiction recovery and policy.
Biography
White was born the eldest son in an Army family, father, William "Billy" White and mother, Alice White. His father was a construction worker and his mother was a nurse. His ...
's 1942 novel ''
They Were Expendable
''They Were Expendable'' is a 1945 American war film directed by John Ford, starring Robert Montgomery and John Wayne, and featuring Donna Reed. The film is based on the 1942 novel of the same name by William Lindsay White, relating the stor ...
'', based on his Squadron 3's evacuation of General
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...
and
President Manuel Quezon from
Corregidor
Corregidor (, , ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of Cavite City and thus the province of Cavite. It is located west of Manila, the nation's capi ...
to Australia.
When
John Ford
John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...
filmed the story, Akers served as a technical advisor.
During the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, Akers served as Deputy Assistant Secretary and Deputy
United States Under Secretary of the Air Force
The under secretary of the air force (USECAF, or SAF/US), sometimes referred to as the under secretary of the Department of the Air Force, is the second-highest ranking civilian official in the Department of the Air Force of the United States of ...
. He was director of the New York City office of the
State Department of Commerce until 1958. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Democrat in the
East Side 17th District three times: in 1954, 1956 and 1958.
Akers had first met
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...
in World War II. Akers ran the motor torpedo boat training squadron in
Melville, Rhode Island where Kennedy trained.
Kennedy campaigned for Akers in the latter's 1956 bid for Congress,
and Akers served as executive chairman of the NY Citizens' Committee for Kennedy–Johnson in 1960. After winning the presidency, Kennedy appointed Akers Ambassador to
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
in June 1961, where he represented the United States until August 25, 1963. During his time in New Zealand, he lobbied the
ANZUS
The Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS or ANZUS Treaty) is a collective security agreement between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States that was signed in 1951, and from which New Zealand has been partially su ...
to send advisory personnel to Vietnam.
Akers returned to the United States, intending to take over the job of
Chief of Protocol from
Angier Biddle Duke
Angier Biddle Duke (November 30, 1915 – April 29, 1995) was an American diplomat who served as Chief of Protocol of the United States in the 1960s. Before that, at the age of 36, he became the youngest American ambassador in history when he was ...
. After
the President's assassination, Akers returned to practicing law. He later worked as an advisor on the
Robert F. Kennedy 1968 presidential campaign
The Robert F. Kennedy presidential campaign began on March 16, 1968, when Kennedy, a United States Senator from New York, mounted an unlikely challenge to incumbent Democratic United States President Lyndon B. Johnson. Following a near-upset ...
, and was present at the
Ambassador Hotel when Kennedy
was assassinated.
Personal life
Akers was married to Jane Pope, the daughter of architect
John Russell Pope
John Russell Pope (April 24, 1874 – August 27, 1937) was an American architecture, architect whose firm is widely known for designing major public buildings, including the National Archives and Records Administration building (completed in 193 ...
. Akers and his wife had two daughters:
Andra Akers
Andra Akers (September 16, 1943 – March 20, 2002) was an American actress and philanthropist. A character actress, she appeared in films, theater and television, usually in tough or brassy roles.
Early life and education
Akers was born in Ne ...
, an actress, and
Ellery Akers, a poet and naturalist.
Akers died of a heart attack on April 1, 1976, in
Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
Wrightsville Beach is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Wrightsville Beach is just east of Wilmington, North Carolina, Wilmington and is part of the Wilmington metropolitan area. The population was 2,477 at the 2010 Uni ...
, aged 61.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akers, Anthony B.
1914 births
1976 deaths
Ambassadors of the United States to New Zealand
New York (state) Democrats
People from Atascosa County, Texas
University of Texas at Austin alumni
Columbia Law School alumni
Recipients of the Silver Star
United States Navy personnel of World War II
20th-century American diplomats