David Manker Abshire

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David Manker Abshire
United States Ambassador to NATO
In office
July 13, 1983 – January 5, 1987
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byWilliam Tapley Bennett Jr.
Succeeded byAlton G. Keel Jr.
United States Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs
In office
April 20, 1970 – January 8, 1973
PresidentRichard Nixon
Preceded byWilliam B. Macomber Jr.
Succeeded byMarshall Wright
Personal details
Born
David Manker Abshire

(1926-04-11)April 11, 1926
Chattanooga, Tennessee
DiedOctober 31, 2014(2014-10-31) (aged 88)
Alexandria, Virginia
Political partyRepublican
SpouseCarolyn Lamar Sample
EducationU.S. Military Academy (B.S.)
Georgetown University (Ph.D.)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1951–1955
Battles/warsKorean War
AwardsBronze Star Medal

David Manker Abshire (April 11, 1926 – October 31, 2014) served as a Special Counselor to

United States Permanent Representative to NATO
from 1983 to 1987. Abshire presided over the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.

In July 2002, he was elected President of the Richard Lounsbery Foundation of New York. He was a member of the exclusive Alfalfa Club.[1]

Abshire was a

Republican
and the author of seven books, the most recent being A Call to Greatness: Challenging Our Next President, which was published in 2008. Abshire was married and had five children.

He was a member of the advisory council of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation[2] and sat on the advisory board of America Abroad Media.[3]

Background

Early life

Abshire was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 11, 1926.[4][5]

Education and early career

He graduated from The Bright School in 1938, and Baylor School in Chattanooga in 1944.[6]

Abshire graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1951.

Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He is a member of the Project on National Security Reform.[8][9] Till 1977 he worked as administrator in the Advisory Board at St. Albans School and in the Board of Advisors at Naval War College.[7]

Military

Abshire fought in the

company commander. He received various distinctions: the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster with V for Valor, Combat Infantry Badge and Commendation Ribbon with medal pendant.[9]

Political life

In 1962, Abshire and

President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (1981–1982), and the President's Task Force on U.S. Government International Broadcasting (1991).[10]

During the transition of government in 1980, Abshire was asked by President-elect Reagan to head the National Security Group, which included the State and Defense Departments, the U.S. Information Agency, and the Central Intelligence Agency. He served for nine years on the board of Procter & Gamble.[11]

Personal

Abshire was married to Carolyn Lamar Sample. He had four daughters and one son: Anna Lamar Bowman, Mary Lee Jensvold, Phyllis d'Hoop, Caroline Hall and Lupton Abshire.[7]

Ambassador to NATO

In 1983–1987 Abshire was Ambassador to NATO where, in reaction to the threat posed by Soviet SS-20 missiles, he was appointed to oversee the deployment of Pershing and Cruise missiles. For his service, he was given the Distinguished Public Service Medal.[11]

Special Counselor to President Reagan

Abshire was recalled as the

Iran-Contra Affair unfolded to serve as Special Counselor to President Reagan with Cabinet rank.[12] His charge was to assure a full investigation of the sale of arms to Iran
so as to restore the confidence of the nation in the Reagan presidency.

Honors

Death

Abshire died on October 31, 2014, of pulmonary fibrosis in Alexandria, Virginia.[17][18] He is survived by his wife of 56 years, the former Carolyn Sample, his son, Lupton, his daughters Anna Bowman, Mary Lee Jensvold, Phyliis d'Hoop and Carolyn Hall. He has 11 grandchildren.[4]

Books

References

  1. ^ "David M. Abshire". www.csis.org. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  2. ^ "National Advisory Council". Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Archived from the original on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
  3. ^ Profile Archived 2014-07-16 at the Wayback Machine, americaabroadmedia.org; accessed October 31, 2014.
  4. ^
    ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  5. ^ a b "Chattanooga native David Manker Abshire had illustrious career in capital". timesfreepress.com. November 2014. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  6. ^ "Chattanooga native David Manker Abshire had illustrious career in capital". timesfreepress.com. November 2014. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  7. ^ a b c d "David Abshire". www.nndb.com. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
  8. ^ CSIS Abshire biodata Archived 2009-07-04 at the Wayback Machine, csis.org; accessed October 31, 2014.
  9. ^ a b Abshire profile Archived 2006-05-04 at the Wayback Machine, rlounsbery.org; accessed October 31, 2014.
  10. ^ Profile Archived 2010-12-01 at the Wayback Machine, Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress], thepresidency.org; accessed October 31, 2014.
  11. ^ a b The Civility Defense Force, Washington Post, April 7, 2006; accessed October 31, 2014.
  12. ^ Mykleby, Mark; Doherty, Patrick; Makower, Joel (2016). The New Grand Strategy: Restoring America's Prosperity, Security, and Sustainability in the 21st Century. New York. p. 190.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  13. ^ a b c d e Glenn, Justin (2016). The Washingtons. Volume 9: The Presidential Branch: Six Wright Lines. p. 389.
  14. ^ "David M. Abshire". www.csis.org. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  15. ^ Flowly.cz. "Grand Officers of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic: Andrzej Ciechanowiecki, Carlos Bulgheroni, Carlo Salteri, David Manker Abshire, Friedric: Source Wikipedia > Carte | Libristo". www.libristo.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  16. ^ Awards and Honors.com
  17. ISSN 0190-8286
    . Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  18. ^ Ambassador David M. Abshire, CSPC Vice Chairman, dies

External links

Government offices
Preceded by
William B. Macomber, Jr.
Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs
1970–1973
Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
W. Tapley Bennett, Jr.
United States Permanent Representative to NATO

1983–1987
Succeeded by
Alton G. Keel, Jr.