John R. Countryman

John R. Countryman
Born
John Russell Countryman

(1933-01-25) January 25, 1933 (age 91)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Other namesJohnnie/Johnny Russell
Alma materFordham University
University of Miami
Occupations
  • Actor
  • diplomat
Years active1938–40 (as actor)
1962–87 (US Foreign Service)
SpouseIllona Zwolski Vachon
Children1
4th United States Ambassador to Oman
In office
October 14, 1981 – July 29, 1985
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byMarshall W. Wiley
Succeeded byGeorge Cranwell Montgomery

John Russell Countryman (born January 25, 1933), stage name Johnnie Russell, is an American former child actor and retired career officer for the United States Foreign Service.

Before the age of ten, Countryman appeared in more than a dozen Hollywood films, and afterwards had a brief career on the New York stage. A graduate of a private Jesuit military secondary school, he served in the Air Force and then entered the Foreign Service in 1962. He held various postings in the Middle East and Africa before being appointed United States Ambassador to Oman from 1981 to 1985.[1] Following his 35-year diplomatic career, he served as Executive Director of the Mission for Peace and Cooperation in the Middle East under the auspices of Search for Common Ground.

  1. ^ "Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR JOHN R. COUNTRYMAN" (PDF). Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. November 19, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.