Warren Randolph Burgess | |
|---|---|
| 4thUnited States Permanent Representative to NATO | |
| In office 1957 – March 23, 1961 | |
| Appointed by | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Preceded by | George Walbridge Perkins, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Thomas K. Finletter |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1889-05-07)May 7, 1889 Newport, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Died | September 16, 1978(1978-09-16) (aged 89) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Brown University McGill University Columbia University |
Warren Randolph Burgess (May 7, 1889 – September 16, 1978)[1] was an American banker and diplomat who served as theU.S. Ambassador to NATO from 1957 to 1961.[2]
Burgess was born inNewport, Rhode Island (where his father was teaching at theRogers High School) and grew up in theChicago, Illinois, area. He was the son of Isaac Bronson Burgess, aPhilips Exeter Academy andBrown University graduate who was a teacher,[3] and Ellen (née Wilber) Burgess, anAbbot Academy graduate.[4] His elder brother was Robert Wilbur Burgess (b. 1887), who served asDirector of the United States Census Bureau from 1953 to 1961.[3]
Burgess attendedBrown University and joined theDelta Upsilon fraternity.[5] He did graduate work atMcGill University in Montreal and earned a doctorate fromColumbia University in 1920. His dissertation at Columbia was entitled"Trends of School Costs."[6]
He became a prominent banker in New York City. In 1920, as a statistician, he joined theFederal Reserve Bank of New York and remained with the bank for 19 years until he resigned in 1938 as vice president in charge of the Banks government security operation.[6] In 1927, he published"The Reserve Banks and the Money Markets."[6] In 1938, he joinedNational City Bank of New York (now known asCitibank) becoming vice chairman of the board of directors; later becoming chairman of the Bank's executive committee.[6]
Burgess was elected to theAmerican Philosophical Society in 1942.[7] He was elected President of theAmerican Bankers Association and served in that role until 1945, when he was succeeded byFrank C. Rathje. In 1930, he was elected as aFellow of the American Statistical Association.[8]
In 1953,Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Burgess deputy to theUnited States Secretary of the TreasuryGeorge M. Humphrey and Burgess settled inWashington. The following year in 1954, he was appointed Undersecretary of the Treasury, again by Eisenhower.[6]
In 1957, Eisenhower appointed Burgess to succeedGeorge Walbridge Perkins, Jr. as theUnited States Permanent Representative to NATO (theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization), and he served in this role until 1961 whenJohn F. Kennedy was elected President and appointedThomas K. Finletter as his replacement. In this capacity he participated in theBilderberg Conferences in 1958 and 1959.
In 1917, he married Dr. May Ayres (1888–1953), director of nursing education and a statistician. Together, they were the parents of two sons:[6]
After the death of his first wife and while he was serving as theUndersecretary of the Treasury for Monetary Affairs, he marriedHelen Morgan Hamilton (1896–1985), granddaughter of bankerJ.P. Morgan and widow ofArthur Hale Woods on March 5, 1955. During the war, she served in the Women's Army Corps, rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel.[12][13][14]
Burgess died at his home in Washington, D.C., on September 16, 1978.[6][1] His widow later died on January 25, 1985, inMystic, Connecticut.[15][16][17] He was buried inArlington National Cemetery.[18]
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | U.S. Ambassador to NATO 1957–1961 | Succeeded by |
