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Clinton Everett Knox (May 5, 1908 – October 14, 1980) was an American diplomat who was the U.S. Ambassador to
Clinton Everett Knox (May 5, 1908 – October 14, 1980) was an American diplomat who was the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
. He was held hostage in his residence in Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
for almost 20 hours on January 24, 1973. Knox and Consul General Ward L. Christensen were released in exchange for the release of 12 Haitian prisoners, safe conduct to Mexico and a ransom of $70,000.
Knox was also the Ambassador to the west African nation of Dahomey (now the country of Benin) from 1964 to 1969. He was the first African American secretary to the United States Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
).
Biography
Knox was born inNew Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. Up throug ...
, on May 5, 1908 to William Jacob Knox Sr., a US postal worker, and Estella Briggs. Knox was one of 5 and the youngest son. Knox and his older brothers, Lawrence H. Knox and William Jacob Knox Jr., all went on to attend Harvard University and earn doctoral degrees in their respective fields of study.
He started his career at the State Department in 1945. He graduated from New Bedford High School
New Bedford High School (NBHS) is a public high school located at 230 Hathaway Boulevard in the West End of New Bedford, Massachusetts. The school has approximately 2,000 students, and is one of the largest schools in the state. New Bedford is al ...
in 1926. Knox graduated from Williams College
Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...
(A.B., 1930) and earned an M.A. from Brown University
Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
in 1931. Knox was as an instructor at Morgan State College, teaching history and international relations between 1931 and 1936 and again between 1939 and 1943. While not at Morgan State, he was studying European History at Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
(Ph.D., 1940). Knox was the Bayard-Cutting Fellow at Harvard University (1938–1939).
Knox died in Silver Springs, Maryland
Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially unincorporated, in practice it is an edge city, with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 censu ...
, on October 14, 1980, at the age of 72.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knox, Clinton E. 1908 births 1980 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Haiti Williams College alumni Brown University alumni Harvard University alumni Morgan State University faculty Ambassadors of the United States to Benin 20th-century American diplomats