Ellis Ormsbee Briggs (December 1, 1899 – February 21, 1976) was an American diplomat who served as Ambassador to seven countries over the course of his career.[1]
Ellis Ormsbee Briggs (December 1, 1899 – February 21, 1976) was an American diplomat who served as Ambassador to seven countries over the course of his career.[1]
Briggs was born in Massachusetts to James Briggs and Lucy Hill Briggs, and was educated at Dartmouth College, graduating in 1921. He married Lucy Barnard in 1928. They had two children; Lucy in 1930, and Everett (who also went on to a career as an American diplomat[2]) in 1934.[3]
| Position (All with the U.S. State Department) |
Date appointed | Period of service | Comments | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vice Consul to the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru | 1926–1928 | [3] | ||
| Third Secretary to the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru | 1928–1933 | [3] | ||
| Third Secretary to the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba | 1933–1937 | [2][3] | ||
| Assistant Chief, Division of American Republics | 1937–1940 | [3] | ||
| Special Mission to the East Coast of South America | 1940 | [3] | ||
| Consul-First Secretary, U.S. Embassy in Santiago, Chile | 1940–1941 | [3] | ||
| First Secretary to the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba | 1941–1944 | [3] | ||
| Chief, Division of Caribbean and Central American Affairs | 1944 | [3] | ||
| United States Ambassador to the Dominican Republic | March 21, 1944 | June 3, 1944 – January 14, 1945 | [4] | |
| Economic Counselor, Chungking | 1945 | [3] | ||
| Director, Office of American Republic Affairs | 1945–1947 | [3] | ||
| United States Ambassador to Uruguay | July 3, 1947 | August 21, 1947–August 6, 1949 | [4] | |
| United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia | September 1, 1949 | November 8, 1949–August 27, 1952 | [4] | |
| United States Ambassador to South Korea | August 25, 1952 | November 25, 1952–April 12, 1955 | Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on July 28, 1953, after confirmation. | [4] |
| United States Ambassador to Peru | March 24, 1955 | March 27, 1955 – June 5, 1956 | [4] | |
| United States Ambassador to Brazil | May 29, 1956 | July 24, 1956–May 2, 1959 | [4] | |
| United States Ambassador to Greece | April 8, 1959 | July 15, 1959–February 1, 1962 | [4] | |
| Career Ambassador | June 24, 1960 | N/A | [4] | |
| United States Ambassador to Spain | N/A | N/A | Not commissioned; nomination withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it. | [4] |
President John F. Kennedy nominated Briggs for the post of U.S. Ambassador to Spain. However, due to illness, Briggs was not able to accept the post, and retired from the State Department in 1962.[5]
Briggs was the author of several memoirs and other works, including:
He died in 1976 in Gainesville, Georgia.
