Jack Wilson Lydman
Encyclopedia
Jack Wilson Lydman was an actor
, Foreign Service
Officer, and a United States Ambassador to Malaysia
(1969–1973).
After work with the Surry Players at the Mercury Theatre
in New York
he join the US Army Air Forces during World War II
becoming a division chief in the Strategic Bombing Survey of the War Department. He married and joined the United States Department of State
in 1946 as a research assistant becoming chief of the Far East political section then deputy director of the Office of Intelligence Research. Commissioned as a Foreign Service Officer in 1955 he was posted as deputy director of the Research Center of the South East Asia Treaty Organization to Bangkok. In 1958 he was assigned to Surabaya
with responsibility for Portuguese Timor
until appointed counselor for economic affairs to Jakarta
(Indonesia
) in 1960. After attending the Senior Seminar in 1961-1962, he appointed deputy chief of mission to Canberra
(Australia
) 1963. He returned to Jakarta in 1965 as DCM with the personal rank of minister. On 15 September 1969 President Richard Nixon
appointed Lydman as Ambassador to Malaysia, serving in Kuala Lumpur
until he retired on 20 December 1974.
Jack Lydman participated in planning the 1942 Doolittle Raid
air raid on Japan
but is best known for giving repeated testimony concerning the Central Intelligence Agency
provision of names to General Suharto's forces during 1965, and for his 1969 review of Indonesian administration of West New Guinea (then called West Irian) which was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and published by George Washington University
in 2004.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, 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...
Officer, and a United States Ambassador to Malaysia
United States Ambassador to Malaysia
-Ambassadors:* Embassy Kuala Lumpur was established on August 31, 1957, with Wright in charge.-See also:*Malaysia – United States relations*Foreign relations of Malaysia*Ambassadors of the United States-References:*-External links:* * *...
(1969–1973).
After work with the Surry Players at the Mercury Theatre
Mercury Theatre
The Mercury Theatre was a theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and John Houseman. After a string of live theatrical productions, in 1938 the Mercury Theatre progressed into their best-known period as The Mercury Theatre on the Air, a radio series that included one of the...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
he join the US Army Air Forces during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
becoming a division chief in the Strategic Bombing Survey of the War Department. He married and joined the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
in 1946 as a research assistant becoming chief of the Far East political section then deputy director of the Office of Intelligence Research. Commissioned as a Foreign Service Officer in 1955 he was posted as deputy director of the Research Center of the South East Asia Treaty Organization to Bangkok. In 1958 he was assigned to Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
with responsibility for Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor was the name of East Timor when it was under Portuguese control. During this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Netherlands East Indies, and later with Indonesia....
until appointed counselor for economic affairs to Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
(Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
) in 1960. After attending the Senior Seminar in 1961-1962, he appointed deputy chief of mission to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) 1963. He returned to Jakarta in 1965 as DCM with the personal rank of minister. On 15 September 1969 President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
appointed Lydman as Ambassador to Malaysia, serving in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
until he retired on 20 December 1974.
Jack Lydman participated in planning the 1942 Doolittle Raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
air raid on Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
but is best known for giving repeated testimony concerning the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
provision of names to General Suharto's forces during 1965, and for his 1969 review of Indonesian administration of West New Guinea (then called West Irian) which was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and published by George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in 2004.