Felix Cole

In 1915, Cole received a job in the United States Department of State. He served as the United States consul in Arkhangelsk, Russian Empire.^[1] He was arrested by the Bolsheviks on July 7, 1918, and remained imprisoned until the Allies occupied Arkhangelsk in August.^[6]

In 1920, Cole was assigned as the United States consul in Bucharest, Romania.^[7] In 1924, he was assigned as the United States consul in Sydney, Australia.^[8] In 1928, he was assigned as the United States consul in Warsaw, Poland.^[9] During the 1930s he served as the Charge d'Affaires in Riga, Latvia.^[10] In 1944, he was appointed to serve as the first secretary of the United States legation to Liberia and as the consul general in Monrovia, Liberia.^[11]

During the 1940s he served as a consul in French Algeria and during his tenure he advised the United States against intervening against the actions of former Vichy officials on behalf of Algeria's 150,000 Jews.^[12]

On February 5, 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Cole to serve as the United States Ambassador to Ethiopia and was later approved by the United States Senate on February 20.^[13][14] On October 5, 1945, he presented his credentials and served until October 8, 1947.^[15] George Robert Merrell was appointed by President Harry S. Truman to replace Cole.^[16]

On March 29, 1948, President Truman appointed Cole to serve as the United States Ambassador to Ceylon and was later approved by the United States Senate on April 7.^[17][18] Cole was the first person to serve as the United States Ambassador to Ceylon.^[19] He presented his credentials on August 3, 1949, and served until October 30, 1949.^[15] Joseph C. Satterthwaite was appointed by Truman to replace Cole.^[20]

On July 18, 1953, Cole married Jeannette Watrous Berry.^[21] He later served as chairman of the American Friends for Russian Freedom.^[1]

On July 23, 1969, Cole died either at home or at the Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, New Jersey.^[1][22][2]