Gordon P. Merriam
American soldier and diplomat
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Gordon Phelps Merriam (July 29, 1899 – February 16, 1999) was an American soldier and diplomat.
The Honourable Gordon Phelps Merriam | |
|---|---|
| U.S. Ambassador to Iran | |
| In office 1936–1937 | |
| Preceded by | William H. Hornibrook |
| Succeeded by | Cornelius Van Hemert Engert |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 29, 1899 |
| Died | February 16, 1999 (aged 99) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Rank | Second lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Biography
Merriam was born on July 29, 1899, in Lexington, Massachusetts. He would graduate from Noble and Greenough School in 1917.[1]
World War I
Merriam went to France in June 1917, serving in the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps for five months. Once he returned to the United States he would get commissioned as a second lieutenant in September 1918, following completion of training in machine guns in the Student Army Training Corps at Camp Hancock, Georgia.[1]
Merriam would get commissioned as the Chargé d'affaires to Iran in March 1936, a position he would hold until May 1937.[2][3] He would also serve as the chief of the Near Eastern Division of the State Department.[4] During his service in the State Department, he would be an advocate for U.S. investments in Middle Eastern energy infrastructure.[5] He would also keep the United States informed on issues regarding the Kurds, their connections to different groups in the region and movement from Iran into Iraq.[6] He would also criticize the Balfour declaration and instead advocate for the Jews and Arabs to determine the fate of the former mandate together.[7]
Merriam died on February 16, 1999, in South Bristol, Maine.[2][8] He died following a short illness.[4]
