Robert S. Strauss | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Ambassador to Russia | |
| In office December 26, 1991 – November 19, 1992 | |
| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Tom Pickering |
| United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union | |
| In office August 24, 1991 – December 26, 1991 | |
| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Jack F. Matlock Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| United States Special Envoy for the Middle East | |
| In office May 4, 1979 – November 25, 1979 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Sol Linowitz |
| 6th United States Trade Representative | |
| In office March 30, 1977 – August 17, 1979 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Frederick B. Dent |
| Succeeded by | Reubin Askew |
| Chair of the Democratic National Committee | |
| In office December 9, 1972 – January 21, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | Jean Westwood |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth Curtis |
| Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee | |
| In office March 5, 1970 – December 9, 1972 | |
| Preceded by | Patrick O'Connor |
| Succeeded by | Donald Petrie |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Schwarz Strauss October 19, 1918 Lockhart, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | March 19, 2014 (aged 95) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Helen Jacobs |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Annette Strauss |
| Education | University of Texas at Austin (BA, LLB) |
Robert Schwarz Strauss (October 19, 1918 – March 19, 2014) was an influential figure in American politics, diplomacy, and law whose service dated back to future President Lyndon Johnson's first congressional campaign in 1937. By the 1950s, he was associated in Texas politics with the faction of the Democratic Party that was led by Johnson and John Connally. He served as the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee between 1972 and 1977 and served under President Jimmy Carter as the U.S. Trade Representative and special envoy to the Middle East. He later served as the Ambassador to Russia under President George H.W. Bush. Strauss also served as the last United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union.[1]
An accomplished lawyer, Strauss founded the law firm now known as Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in 1945, which had grown to be one of the largest in the world with offices in 15 cities and employing over 900 lawyers and professionals worldwide.[2] His business activities included serving on the Texas Banking Commission and as Chairman of the U.S.-Russia Business Council.
Strauss was inducted into the Academy of Achievement[3][4] in 2003 and was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian award, on January 16, 1981. He was a trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and The Forum for International Policy and was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission.
Strauss occupied academic chairs and lecture positions, including one as the Lloyd Bentsen Chair at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. He was also the namesake of The Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at The University of Texas. He was interested in biomedical issues and endowed two chairs at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas: the Helen and Robert S. Strauss Professorship in Pediatric Neurology and the Helen and Robert S. Strauss Professorship in Urology.
- ^ "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR ROBERT S. STRAUSS" (PDF). Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. 25 October 2002. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP- about_glance Archived June 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
- ^ "2003 Summit Highlights Photo".
Robert S. Strauss, former Ambassador to the Soviet Union, receives the Golden Plate Award presented by Awards Council member and the creator of the Star Wars films, director George Lucas, at the 2003 Achievement Summit.