Cecil Burton Lyon (November 8, 1903 – April 6, 1993) was an American diplomat and career foreign service officer. Lyon was born in

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

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, and he graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1927. He worked as an investment banker prior to entering the Foreign Service in 1931. On an early assignment, as third secretary in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, he met Elizabeth Sturgis Grew, daughter of Ambassador

Joseph C. Grew Joseph Clark Grew (May 27, 1880 – May 25, 1965) was an American career diplomat and Foreign Service officer. He is best known as the ambassador to Japan from 1932 to 1941 and as a high official in the State Department in Washington from 1944 to ...

. They married in 1933 and had two daughters, Alice and Lilla. Alice Lyon played the lead female role of Elaine in the 1964 B-horror film ''

The Horror of Party Beach ''The Horror of Party Beach'' is a 1964 American horror film in the beach party genre, directed and co-produced by Del Tenney. The film is described as "a take-off on beach parties and musicals", with film critics characterizing it as one of t ...

''. From 1956 to 1958, he served as

United States Ambassador to Chile The following is a list of ambassadors that the United States has sent to Chile. The current title given by the United States State Department to this position is Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. See also *Ambassadors ...

. He served as

United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka The position of United States ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives has existed since 1949.until 1972 the name was: "United States Ambassador to Ceylon and the Maldives" Sri Lanka–United States relations and Maldives–United States relatio ...

(then Ceylon) from 1964 to 1967, during which time he concurrently served as

United States Ambassador to the Maldives The position of United States ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives has existed since 1949.until 1972 the name was: "United States Ambassador to Ceylon and the Maldives" Sri Lanka–United States relations and Maldives–United States relatio ...

from 1965 to 1967.Department of State website
/ref> He died in his home in

Hancock, New Hampshire Hancock is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,731 at the 2020 census. Hancock is home to the Welch Family Farm Forest. The main village of the town, where 213 people resided at the 2020 census, is ...

, on April 6, 1993, aged 89, due to pneumonia.

References

1903 births 1993 deaths People from Staten Island Ambassadors of the United States to Chile Ambassadors of the United States to the Maldives Ambassadors of the United States to Sri Lanka People from Hancock, New Hampshire Harvard University alumni United States Foreign Service personnel 20th-century American diplomats Deaths from pneumonia in New Hampshire {{US-diplomat-stub