Sir Willie Morris KCMG (1919[1] – 13 April 1982[2]) was a British diplomat from Yorkshire. He joined the Foreign Office in 1947 and retired in 1979.[1]
Career
His first overseas assignment took him to Cairo in 1948 as a second secretary. He advanced to first secretary in the Foreign Office in 1951. From 1955 to 1960, he was first secretary in the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. There he met his wife, Ghislaine Margaret Trammell. He spent most of his career in the Middle East, and served as the UK ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1968–1972), Ethiopia (1972–1975) and Egypt (1975–1979).[3]
Morris insisted on the importance of strong ties between the United States and the Arab World, and called on Israel to recognize a Palestinian state in the West Bank. A resident of Oxford, he died there, aged 63, after a brief illness. He was survived by his wife, three sons, four siblings, and extended family.[2]
References
- General
- "MORRIS, Sir Willie". Who Was Who. A & C Black. Retrieved 11 October 2008.(subscription required)
- Specific
- ^ a b Leigh, David; Evans, Rob (8 June 2007). "Willie Morris". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
- ^ a b "Sir Willie Morris, A Diplomat" (fee required). The New York Times. Late City Final Edition, Section B: 6. 19 April 1982. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
- ^ "Previous Ambassadors". UK in Egypt: The official website for the British Embassy in Egypt. Archived from the original on 4 May 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2009.