Alexander Watson
Encyclopedia
Alexander Fletcher Watson (born August 8, 1939) is a retired American ambassador
and diplomat
.
Watson was born in Boston, Massachusetts
. He attended Harvard University
, earning a bachelor's degree
in government
in 1961, and joined the Foreign Service
in 1962.
Watson served as Vice Consul/Third Secretary at the American embassy in Santo Domingo
, Dominican Republic
, and in 1964 became Vice Consul at the embassy in Madrid
, Spain
. Watson left Spain in 1966 to become an intelligence analyst at the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research
. Watson continued to serve as an intelligence analyst until 1968, when he began attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, graduating with his master's degree
a year later.
From 1969 to 1972, Watson again worked overseas, this time in Brazil
. Watson served his first two years in the country as a Political Officer at the embassy in Brasilia
, until he was transferred to serve in the position. in 1975, Watson returned to the U.S. to work as a Country Officer in the Office of Brazilian Affairs, a division of the State Department's Bureau of Inter-American Affairs.
In 1975, Watson was transferred to the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, becoming Special Assistant for Legislative and Public Affairs in the Office of Development Finance. In 1977, Watson was promoted to Deputy Director of the Office of Development Finance, and one year later became Director. In 1979, Watson returned to Latin America
, serving successively as Deputy Chief of Mission in three American embassies: La Paz, Bolivia (1979-1981); Bogotá
, Colombia
(1981-1984) and Brasilia, Brazil (1984-1986).
In 1986, Watson became the U.S. Ambassador to Peru
, serving until 1989. In that year, he became Deputy Permanent U.S. Representative to the United Nations
, holding this post until 1993, when Watson was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs by President
Bill Clinton
, retiring at the end of Clinton's first term in 1996.
After retiring, The Nature Conservancy
appointed Watson as Vice President and Executive Director of its to head its Latin America
and the Caribbean
division. He has since left that position, and now works at Hills & Co.
In 2004, he joined Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change
, a group of retired diplomats and military commanders opposed to the reelection of President George W. Bush
.
Watson speaks Spanish
and Portuguese
. He is married to Judith Tuttle, and has two accomplished children, David Watson and Caitlin Watson.
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
and diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
.
Watson was born in Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, earning a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
in 1961, and joined the Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
in 1962.
Watson served as Vice Consul/Third Secretary at the American embassy in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, and in 1964 became Vice Consul at the embassy in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Watson left Spain in 1966 to become an intelligence analyst at the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research
Bureau of Intelligence and Research
The Bureau of Intelligence and Research is an intelligence bureau in the U.S. State Department tasked with analyzing information. Originally founded as the Research and Analysis Branch of the Office of Strategic Services , it was transferred to the State Department at the end of World War II...
. Watson continued to serve as an intelligence analyst until 1968, when he began attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, graduating with his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
a year later.
From 1969 to 1972, Watson again worked overseas, this time in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Watson served his first two years in the country as a Political Officer at the embassy in Brasilia
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
, until he was transferred to serve in the position. in 1975, Watson returned to the U.S. to work as a Country Officer in the Office of Brazilian Affairs, a division of the State Department's Bureau of Inter-American Affairs.
In 1975, Watson was transferred to the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, becoming Special Assistant for Legislative and Public Affairs in the Office of Development Finance. In 1977, Watson was promoted to Deputy Director of the Office of Development Finance, and one year later became Director. In 1979, Watson returned to Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, serving successively as Deputy Chief of Mission in three American embassies: La Paz, Bolivia (1979-1981); Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
(1981-1984) and Brasilia, Brazil (1984-1986).
In 1986, Watson became the U.S. Ambassador to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, serving until 1989. In that year, he became Deputy Permanent U.S. Representative to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, holding this post until 1993, when Watson was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, retiring at the end of Clinton's first term in 1996.
After retiring, The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
appointed Watson as Vice President and Executive Director of its to head its Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
division. He has since left that position, and now works at Hills & Co.
In 2004, he joined Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change
Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change
Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change was an ad hoc organization of 27 retired and United States military officers and Foreign Service Officers who supported Democratic U.S. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts against incumbent Republican George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election.The...
, a group of retired diplomats and military commanders opposed to the reelection of President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
Watson speaks Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
. He is married to Judith Tuttle, and has two accomplished children, David Watson and Caitlin Watson.