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U.S. Department of State
BIOGRAPHY
WINSTON LORD
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC
AFFAIRS
Winston Lord was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian
and Pacific Affairs on April 23, 1993. He was announced for this position by
then President-elect Clinton and Secretary of State-designate Christopher on
January 19 and confirmed by the Senate on April 21,1993.
Before assuming his duties as Assistant Secretary of State, Ambassador
Lord had been chairman of the National Endowment for Democracy, vice-chairman of
the International Rescue Committee, and chairman of the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace's National Commission on America and the New World.
Ambassador Lord's history of government service with the Department of
State include his appointment as U.S. Ambassador to China from 1985-89. From
1973 to 1977, he was Director of the Policy Planning Staff. Ambassador Lord was
a Foreign Service Officer from 1961-67, during which time he was assigned in
Washington to the Congressional relations, political-military and economic
affairs staffs and abroad in Geneva. He has also served in the U.S. Government
outside the Department of State as Special Assistant to the National Security
Advisor (1970- 73), on the National Security Council staff (1969-70), and on the
Policy Planning Staff in International Security Affairs at the Defense
Department (1967-69).
From 1977 to 1985, Ambassador Lord was president of the Council on
Foreign Relations. He also has been a member of the Asia Society, the American
Academy of Diplomacy, the America-China Society, and the Aspen Institute of
Distinguished Fellows.
Among the awards Ambassador Lord has received are the State Department's
Distinguished Honor Award and the Defense Department's Outstanding Performance
Award.
After graduating magna cum laude from Yale University in 1959, Ambassador
Lord obtained an M.A. at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1960. He
has received Honorary Doctorate degrees from Williams College, Tufts University,
Dominican College, and Bryant College.
Ambassador Lord was born in New York City on August 14, 1937. His mother,
Mary Pillsbury Lord, served for eight years as United States Delegate to the
United Nations and U.S. Representative to the UN Human Rights Commission. He is
married to Bette Bao Lord, whom he met while they were both studying at the
Fletcher School. They have a daughter and a son.