William H. Luers
Encyclopedia
William Henry Luers was a diplomat and former United States Ambassador to Venezuela
(1978-82) and Czechoslovakia
(1983-86). He has served as president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York City for thirteen years and as president of the United Nations Association
of the USA (UNA-USA) (1999-2009).
. He did graduate work in Philosophy at Northwestern University
before entering the Foreign Service.
During his long diplomatic career, Luers held various posts in Italy, Germany and the Soviet Union. He was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe (1977-1978) and for Inter-American Affairs (1975-1977) in the Department of State before being posted as US Ambassador to Venezuela (1978-1982) and Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1983-1986).
Luers has lectured at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton, at George Washington University
in Washington, DC, the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University
and the Institute for Advanced Study
in Princeton, New Jersey
in 1982-1983. He holds honorary doctorate degrees from Hamilton College and Marlboro College
.
Luers is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations
and has served on the boards of The Rockefeller Brothers Fund
, The National Museum of Natural History
, The Trust for Mutual Understanding, and the Rubin Museum of Art
. He is also chairman of the Advisory Board of The Center on Public Diplomacy
at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California
and of The Harriman Institute
at Columbia University
.
He speaks on foreign affairs, diplomacy, the UN, and the arts, and has been widely published on foreign policy issues. He speaks Russian, Spanish and Italian.
Luers is married to Wendy Woods Luers
, founder and president of The Foundation for Civil Society and the Project on Justice in Times of Transition. He has four children and two stepchildren.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
(1978-82) and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
(1983-86). He has served as president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
in New York City for thirteen years and as president of the United Nations Association
United Nations Association
The United Nations Associations are non-governmental organizations that exist in various countries to enhance the relationship between the people of a member state and the United Nations, raise public awareness of the UN and its work, promote the general goals of the UN and act as an advisory body...
of the USA (UNA-USA) (1999-2009).
Biography
Luers served four years in the United States Navy before graduating from Hamilton College. He then gained an M.A. from Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He did graduate work in Philosophy at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
before entering the Foreign Service.
During his long diplomatic career, Luers held various posts in Italy, Germany and the Soviet Union. He was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe (1977-1978) and for Inter-American Affairs (1975-1977) in the Department of State before being posted as US Ambassador to Venezuela (1978-1982) and Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1983-1986).
Luers has lectured at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton, at 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 Washington, DC, the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
and the Institute for Advanced Study
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
in Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
in 1982-1983. He holds honorary doctorate degrees from Hamilton College and Marlboro College
Marlboro College
Marlboro College is a small, coeducational, alternative liberal-arts college in Marlboro, Vermont, USA.-History:Marlboro College was founded in 1946 by Walter Hendricks for returning World War II veterans on Potash Hill in Marlboro, Vermont. The school's operation was initially financed using money...
.
Luers is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
and has served on the boards of The Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund , , is an international philanthropic organisation created and run by members of the Rockefeller family. It was set up in New York City in 1940 as the primary philanthropic vehicle of the five famous Rockefeller brothers: John D...
, The National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
, The Trust for Mutual Understanding, and the Rubin Museum of Art
Rubin Museum of Art
__notoc__The Rubin Museum of Art is a museum dedicated to the collection, display, and preservation of the art of the Himalayas and surrounding regions, especially that of Tibet...
. He is also chairman of the Advisory Board of The Center on Public Diplomacy
USC Center on Public Diplomacy
The University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy is a joint academic research, teaching and training center created and run jointly by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences' School of International Relations.Center leadership is...
at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and of The Harriman Institute
Harriman Institute
The Harriman Institute, the first academic center in the United States devoted to the interdisciplinary study of Russia and the Soviet Union, was founded at Columbia University in 1946, with the support of the Rockefeller Foundation, as the Russian Institute....
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
He speaks on foreign affairs, diplomacy, the UN, and the arts, and has been widely published on foreign policy issues. He speaks Russian, Spanish and Italian.
Luers is married to Wendy Woods Luers
Wendy Luers
Wendy W. Luers is the founder and President of The Foundation for a Civil Society, a democratization and non-profit organization. She is also co-founder and Co-Chair of , an independent conflict resolution project working in collaboration with the Institute for Global Leadership at Tufts University...
, founder and president of The Foundation for Civil Society and the Project on Justice in Times of Transition. He has four children and two stepchildren.