Joseph Westphal | |
|---|---|
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| United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia | |
| In office March 28, 2014 – January 9, 2017 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | James B. Smith |
| Succeeded by | John Abizaid |
| United States Under Secretary of the Army | |
| In office September 21, 2009 – March 28, 2014 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Nelson Ford |
| Succeeded by | Brad Carson |
| ActingUnited States Secretary of the Army | |
| In office March 5, 2001 – May 31, 2001 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Gregory R. Dahlberg (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Thomas E. White |
| Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works | |
| In office June 1998 – March 5, 2001 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Martin Lancaster |
| Succeeded by | Michael Parker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | José Guillermo Westphal[1] (1948-01-26)January 26, 1948 (age 77) Santiago, Chile |
| Education | Adelphi University (BA) University of Missouri, Columbia (MA,PhD) |
Joseph William Westphal[1] (born January 26, 1948) is an American politician and diplomat who was most recently theUnited States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. He served as the 30thUnited States Under Secretary of the Army from 2009 to 2014.
Westphal was born inSantiago, Chile.[2] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree fromAdelphi University in New York[3] in 1970, a Master of Arts degree fromOklahoma State University in 1973 and a Ph.D. in political science from theUniversity of Missouri in 1980.[1][4]
Westphal served as the head of the department of political science atOklahoma State University between 1975 and 1987 and as an adjunct professor atGeorgetown University while working at the law firm ofPatton Boggs.[5] He served asAssistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works from 1998 to 2001 and the ActingSecretary of the Army in 2001.[6] He also served aschancellor of theUniversity of Maine System[2] from 2002 to 2006 and was a professor ofpolitical science at theUniversity of Maine from 2002 to 2009.[7] He later served as theprovost, atThe New School inNew York City.[8]
Westphal was a member ofPresident Obama's Transition Team for Defense[9] and was appointed as theUnited States Under Secretary of the Army in September 2009. He was confirmed by theU.S. Senate as ambassador toSaudi Arabia on March 26, 2014, and sworn in the same day.[10][11]Westphal is a senior global fellow and the Chung Sun Term Professor at the Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies at the Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania. Westphal is also a senior fellow at the Wharton Leadership Program at UPenn and a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works 1998–2001 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Secretary of the Army Acting 2001 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Under Secretary of the Army 2009–2014 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia 2014–2017 | Succeeded by |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
