Sumner Gerard | |
|---|---|
| United States Ambassador to Jamaica | |
| In office June 4, 1974 – April 15, 1977 | |
| President | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Vincent de Roulet |
| Succeeded by | Frederick Irving |
| Montana Senate Minority Leader | |
| In office 1965–1966 | |
| Preceded by | J. S. Brenner |
| Succeeded by | Jean Turnage |
| Member of the Montana Senate from Madison County | |
| In office 1962–1966 | |
| Montana House Minority Leader | |
| In office 1959–1961 | |
| Preceded by | Rudy Juedeman |
| Succeeded by | James P. Lucas |
| Member of the Montana House of Representatives from Madison County | |
| In office 1955–1961 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 15, 1916 Melville, New York, United States |
| Died | February 24, 2005 (aged 88) Vero Beach, Florida, United States |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Louise Grosvenor
(m. 1945; div. 1966)Teresa Dabrowska
(m. 1966; div. 2004) |
| Parent(s) | Sumner Gerard Helen Coster |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge (BA, MA) |
| Awards | Order of the British Empire |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army United States Navy United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1940–1945 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Army Commendation Medal |
Sumner Gerard Jr. MBE (July 15, 1916 – February 24, 2005) was an American businessman, politician, and diplomat. Born in New York to a prominent family, Gerard attended Groton School and Trinity College, Cambridge. After serving in the army, navy, and Marine Corps during World War II, he moved to Montana and became involved in business, including mining and ranching, and politics.
During the 1950s and 1960s, he was a member of both the Montana House of Representatives and the Montana Senate, serving as Republican minority leader in both. In 1974, President Richard Nixon appointed him United States Ambassador to Jamaica, a position he held through the administration of President Gerald Ford, leaving in 1977. He then moved to Florida, serving as an adjunct professor of marine archaeology at the University of Miami and sponsoring and participating in underwater archaeology expeditions. He died in 2005 in Vero Beach, Florida, aged 88.