Robert Peet Skinner (February 24, 1866 – July 1, 1960) was an American

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

, editor, and publisher.

Early life

Skinner was born on February 24, 1866, in

Massillon, Ohio Massillon is a city in western Stark County, Ohio, United States, along the Tuscarawas River. The population was 32,146 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Massillon is a principal city of the Canton–Massillon metropolitan area, whic ...

, to Augustus T. Skinner and Cecelia van Rensselaer. His father was a native of Massillon, his grandfather Charles K. Skinner was an early settler of

Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness, England. It lies within the River Kent's dale, from which its name is derived, just outside the boundary of t ...

and his great-grandfather was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. He attended common schools, including a school in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

Career

At the age of 19, he became the editor and owner of a local paper called ''The Evening Independent.'' Through his work with the paper he would become acquainted with

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...

, whom Skinner would support for the

presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified b ...

. He worked for the ''

New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 to 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers as a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under publisher Jo ...

'' as a telegraph editor. He worked as a political correspondent. On June 17, 1897, he married Helen Wales, daughter of Arvine C. Wales. Through his wife's family and his own connections, Skinner would be awarded for his support for President McKinley with a wedding gift, a role in the McKinley administration. McKinley made him the United States

Consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

from 1897 to 1901; starting up his career in

foreign service Foreign Service may refer to: * Diplomatic service, the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country * United States Foreign Service, the diplomatic service of the United States government **Foreign Service ...

. He would later become the United States Consul General in

from 1901 to 1908; United States Consul General at the Consulate General of the United States, Hamburg from 1908 to 1914; United States Consul General at the

Embassy of the United States, Berlin The Embassy of the United States of America in Berlin () is the diplomatic mission of the United States of America in the Federal Republic of Germany. It started in 1797, with the appointment of John Quincy Adams to Berlin, the capital of Prussi ...

in 1914; United States Consul General at the

Embassy of the United States, London The Embassy of the United States of America in London is the diplomatic mission of the United States in the United Kingdom. Its office is located in Nine Elms and is the largest List of diplomatic missions of the United States, American embassy ...

from 1914 to 1924. During his time in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, Skinner would become familiar with French colonial governance. He would become particularly interested with the prospect of establishing a trade deal for the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

with

Abyssinia Abyssinia (; also known as Abyssinie, Abissinia, Habessinien, or Al-Habash) was an ancient region in the Horn of Africa situated in the northern highlands of modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea.Sven Rubenson, The survival of Ethiopian independence, ...

. In 1903 President Roosevelt would take interest in Skinner's proposal and order the diplomat to go to Africa. He arrived along with other representatives and a contingent of thirty U.S. marines in October of that year; they sailed into

Djibouti Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...

from

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

before traveling to their destination via camel over a twenty-two day trek. Upon arriving they were escorted by 5,000 native troops to their audience with Emperor Menelik II. Ultimately the mission would be seen as a success, there would be increased trade between the two countries, due to a negotiated ten year commercial treaty. His mission would also see a growth of American fascination with their new African partner and provided a foothold into the continent for the still growing country. Upon returning to the United States, Skinner would publish an account of this mission in 1906. While in post in London, in March 1916, Skinner proposed a method of allowing United States' and other neutral merchant shipping to pass through the Allied blockade without the irksome inspection procedure required to check for contraband goods that might help the German war effort. He proposed that a certified manifest could be sent in advance by

telegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pi ...

to the local British embassy, which, if agreed, could issue a document known as a "

navicert The navicert, short for navigation certificate, also known as a "Letter of Assurance", was a form of commercial passport issued to allow ships to pass through blockades without inspection. This was of particular relevance during the British naval b ...

", which would allow the cargo to pass through the blockade without the need for inspection. The navicert system was highly successful and continued for US shipping until the American entry into the war and for other neutral nations until the blockade was lifted in 1919. He was the

United States Ambassador to Greece This is a list of United States ambassadors to Greece. List of ambassadors List of ambassadors from the United States to Greece. ;1868–1899: * Charles Keating Tuckerman (Minister 1868–71) * John M. Francis (Minister 1871–73) *John M. Read ...

from 1926 to 1932; United States Ambassador to Estonia from 1931 to 1933; United States Ambassador to Latvia from 1931 to 1933; United States Ambassador to Lithuania, 1931 to 1933; United States Ambassador to Turkey from 1933 to 1936.

Personal life

During his time in Paris, Skinner resided from 15 November 1935 for nearly three years at the

Hôtel de Besenval The Hôtel de Besenval is a historic ''hôtel particulier'' in Paris, dating largely from the 18th century, with a ''Court of honor (architecture), cour d'honneur'' and a large English landscape garden, an architectural style commonly known as ''en ...

, before the ''

hôtel particulier () is the French term for a grand urban mansion, comparable to a Townhouse (Great Britain), British townhouse. Whereas an ordinary (house) was built as part of a row, sharing party walls with the houses on either side and directly fronting on a ...

'' was sold to the

Swiss Confederation Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerlan ...

.Jean-Pierre Samoyault: ''L'Hôtel de Besenval – Ambassade de Suisse en France,'' Editions internationales du Patrimoine, Paris, 2017, p. 113 He died in

Belfast, Maine Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 6,938. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River estuary on Belfast Bay (Maine), Belfast Bay and Penobsc ...

on July 1, 1960. He was buried in Massillon City Cemetery in

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Skinner, Robert Peet 1866 births 1960 deaths People from Massillon, Ohio Journalists from Ohio American male writers Writers from Ohio New York World people Ethiopia–United States relations Ambassadors of the United States to Greece Ambassadors of the United States to Turkey Ambassadors of the United States to Estonia Ambassadors of the United States to Latvia Ambassadors of the United States to Lithuania United States Foreign Service personnel 20th-century American diplomats