Theodore R. Britton Jr.

Last updated

Theodore Roosevelt Britton Jr. (born October 17, 1925) is an American former government official. He was a non-career appointee who served concurrent appointments as the American Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Grenada and Barbados from 1977 until 1979. [1]

Contents

Life and career

Britton was born in North Augusta, South Carolina on October 17, 1925. In 1936, Britton moved with his parents, Bessie B. and Theodore R. Britton, Sr., to New York City. He left high school and joined the US Marine Corps in January 1944, fighting in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. When he returned, he studied at New York University. Soon after he was recalled to serve in the Korean War and later returned to NYU and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Banking and Finance. Britton worked as a mortgage officer and head of the mortgage department at Carver Federal Savings and Loan Association from 1955 to 1964 before becoming president of the American Baptist Convention. At the invitation of Harry Finger, who was head of Research and Technology in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Britton joined HUD as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology in 1971. Gerald R. Ford nominated him to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and Grenada and as the U. S. Special Representative to Antigua, Dominica, St. Christopher-Nevis, Anguilla, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines on November 17, 1974. He resigned in May, 1977. [2]

Ronald Reagan appointed Britton to serve as chairman of the U.S.-China–Soviet Union Agreement on Housing and Planning (1981 to 1989). He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on June 27, 2012 for his WWII service. [3]

Controversy

Britton was not expected “to take his job for more than it was - a political plum appointment by President Ford of a black Republican for services rendered.” But it did not work out so well. Prime Minister Errol Barrow referred to him as "the ugly American" and others there as "the king of Barbados,". The State Department's Foreign Service Inspector investigated on charges of incompetence. [4]

Other allegations included that he "punished and humiliated" an embassy official who disagreed with his policies and angering the Barbados government by becoming too involved in local politics, upstaging government officials at their own gatherings and publicly criticizing Barbados officials. He was criticized for bringing in a contingent of Marines for the first time since the U.S. mission was established in 1821. He gloated to one visitor "Did you notice 'em? Did you see what they did when I came in? Yeah, they saluted. It adds a sense of respect to the place." [4]

Britton disputed The Washington Post's version of what happened and said there was no intention of recalling him. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Austin</span> American politician and diplomat (1877–1962)

Warren Robinson Austin was an American politician and diplomat who served as United States Senator from Vermont and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alphonso Jackson</span> American politician (born 1945)

Alphonso R. Jackson served as the 13th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He was nominated by President George W. Bush on August 28, 2004, and confirmed by the Senate on August 31, 2004. Jackson announced his resignation on March 31, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James W. Wadsworth Jr.</span> American politician

James Wolcott Wadsworth Jr. was an American politician, a Republican from New York. He was the son of New York State Comptroller James Wolcott Wadsworth, and the grandson of Union General James S. Wadsworth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franklin A. Thomas</span> American businessman and philanthropist (1934–2021)

Franklin Augustine Thomas was an American businessman and philanthropist who was president and CEO of the Ford Foundation from 1979 until 1996. After leaving the foundation, Thomas continued to serve in leadership positions in American corporations and was on the board of the TFF Study Group, a nonprofit institution assisting development in South Africa. Thomas was chairman of the nonprofit organization September 11th Fund from 2001 to 2004 and was involved in the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, having served as the manager of its American office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Sanderson McCormick</span> American diplomat (1849–1919)

Robert Sanderson McCormick was an American diplomat. Born in rural Virginia, he was part of the extended McCormick family that became influential in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corinne Roosevelt Robinson</span> American poet (1861–1933)

Corinne Roosevelt Robinson was an American poet, writer and lecturer. She was also the younger sister of President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt and an aunt of First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hall Roosevelt</span> American engineer and banker, brother of Eleanor Roosevelt

Gracie Hall Roosevelt was an American engineer, banker, soldier, and municipal official who was the youngest brother of First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt and a nephew of President Theodore Roosevelt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grenada–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

Grenada – United States relations are bilateral relations between Grenada and the United States. The United States recognized Grenada on the 7 February 1974, as the same day as Grenada got independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. These nations formally established diplomatic relations on 29 November 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank V. Ortiz Jr.</span> American diplomat (1926–2005)

Francis Vincent Ortiz Jr. was an American diplomat who served as United States Ambassador to Argentina from 1983 to 1986, United States Ambassador to Peru from 1981 to 1983, United States Ambassador to Guatemala from 1979 to 1980 and Ambassador of the United States to Barbados, and Grenada as well as Special Representative to Dominica, Saint Lucia, Antigua, St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, and St. Vincent from 1977 to 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Brummell</span> British diplomat and travel writer

Paul Brummell is a British diplomat and travel writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1914 United States Senate election in New York</span>

The 1914 United States Senate election in New York was held on November 3. Incumbent Republican Senator Elihu Root chose not to seek re-election. James Wolcott Wadsworth Jr. was elected to a succeed Root, defeating Democrat James Watson Gerard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Crozier</span> United States Navy officer

Brett Elliott Crozier is a retired captain in the United States Navy. A United States Naval Academy graduate, he became a naval aviator, first flying helicopters and then switching to fighters. After completing naval nuclear training, he served as an officer on several aircraft carriers. In spring 2020, he was commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt when COVID-19 broke out among the crew. He was relieved of command by then-acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly after sending a letter to Navy leaders asking that most of the crew be taken ashore which was subsequently leaked to the press. Crozier himself was also later diagnosed with the virus. He was reassigned to a shore position and retired in March 2022.

COVID-19 pandemic on USS <i>Theodore Roosevelt</i> COVID-19 outbreak on USS Theodore Roosevelt

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, was detected on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in March 2020 while she was at sea. Affected crew members were evacuated and the ship was ordered to Guam. The captain, Brett Crozier, wanted most of the crew to be removed from the ship to prevent the spread of the disease, but his superiors were reluctant. After several days Crozier e-mailed three of his superior officers and seven other Navy Captains, outlining a plan for the ship to be largely evacuated because the virus could not be contained on board. The letter leaked to the press, and the next day the Navy ordered most of the crew to be taken ashore, but the captain was relieved of command by Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly. Modly's order was controversial, and his later speech to the crew aboard Theodore Roosevelt was criticized. Modly resigned a few days later. By mid-April hundreds of crew members including Crozier had tested positive for the virus, and one had died.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger F. Nyhus</span> American businessman

Roger F. Nyhus is an American business and civic leader who is serving as the United States ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS.

References

  1. ↑ "Theodore Roosevelt Britton Jr". Office of the Historian. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  2. ↑ "The Honorable Theodore Britton, Jr". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  3. ↑ Wilson, Teisha (2 June 2015). "THEODORE R. BRITTON JR. (1925- )". BlackPast. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  4. 1 2 Courti; Milloy (January 5, 1977). "U.S. Envoy to Barbados Probed on Incompetence Charge". The Washington Post. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  5. ↑ "AMBASSADOR THEODORE R. BRITTON, JR" (PDF). The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project Ralph J. Bunch Legacy: Minority Officers. Retrieved 9 February 2020.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.