Robert Douglas Coe
Encyclopedia
Robert Douglas Coe was a career diplomat and the U.S. ambassador to Denmark
from 1953 to 1957.
, and completed an M.A. at Magdalen College
, Oxford
, England
.
Although his father hoped young Robert would pursue a career in law or banking, he instead intended to become an architect, and took drawing lessons from Robert Chanler and Everett Shinn
.
His father William Robertson Coe was not fond of the idea of his son becoming an architect, and, ultimately, Bob became a career diplomat.
Robert painted as a hobby, and never married.
, Turkey
, India
, Great Britain
, and the Netherlands
, before serving as U.S. ambassador to Denmark
from 1953 to 1957. As a board member of the Planting Fields Foundation and Chairman of the Board between 1971 and 1985, he helped spark interest in the early restoration work at Coe Hall, particularly the Breakfast Room ("Buffalo Room") murals and the conservation of paintings and stained glass.
United States Ambassador to Denmark
The first representative from the United States to Denmark was appointed in 1827 as a Chargé d'Affaires. There followed a series of chargés and ministers until 1890 when the first full ambassador was appointed...
from 1953 to 1957.
Biography
He was the second son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe. He attended St. Paul's School; later he received an A.B. in fine arts from Harvard UniversityHarvard 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...
, and completed an M.A. at Magdalen College
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Although his father hoped young Robert would pursue a career in law or banking, he instead intended to become an architect, and took drawing lessons from Robert Chanler and Everett Shinn
Everett Shinn
Everett Shinn was an American realist painter and member of the Ashcan School, also known as 'the Eight.' He was the youngest member of the group of modernist painters who explored the depiction of real life...
.
His father William Robertson Coe was not fond of the idea of his son becoming an architect, and, ultimately, Bob became a career diplomat.
Robert painted as a hobby, and never married.
Career
Bob was posted to BrazilBrazil
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...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, before serving as U.S. ambassador to Denmark
United States Ambassador to Denmark
The first representative from the United States to Denmark was appointed in 1827 as a Chargé d'Affaires. There followed a series of chargés and ministers until 1890 when the first full ambassador was appointed...
from 1953 to 1957. As a board member of the Planting Fields Foundation and Chairman of the Board between 1971 and 1985, he helped spark interest in the early restoration work at Coe Hall, particularly the Breakfast Room ("Buffalo Room") murals and the conservation of paintings and stained glass.
Diplomatic Service
| Porto Alegre, Brazil | 1928–1930 |
| Peru | 1930–1931 |
| Turkey | 1931–1935 |
| Calcutta, India | 1935–1937 |
| Washington, DC: The Balkans Desk | 1937–1941 |
| London | 1941–1948 |
| Holland | 1948–1950 |
| Washington, D.C. | 1950–1952 |
| Retired | 1952 |
| Called back by President Eisenhower | 1953 |
| Ambassador to Denmark | 1953–1957 |
Sources
- United States Department of State: Ambassadors to Denmark
- The Political Graveyard: Robert Douglas Coe