Walt Rostow

Walt Rostow
Rostow in 1968
6th United States National Security Advisor
In office
April 1, 1966 – January 20, 1969
PresidentLyndon B. Johnson
DeputyFrancis Bator
Preceded byMac Bundy
Succeeded byHenry Kissinger
14th Counselor of the United States Department of State
In office
December 4, 1961 – March 31, 1966
PresidentJohn F. Kennedy
Lyndon Johnson
Preceded byGeorge McGhee
Succeeded byRobert Bowie
6th Director of Policy Planning
In office
December 4, 1961 – March 31, 1966
PresidentJohn F. Kennedy
Lyndon Johnson
Preceded byGeorge McGhee
Succeeded byHenry Owen
1st Deputy National Security Advisor
In office
January 20, 1961 – December 4, 1961
PresidentJohn F. Kennedy
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byCarl Kaysen
Personal details
Born
Walt Whitman Rostow

(1916-10-07)October 7, 1916
New York City, U.S.
DiedFebruary 13, 2003(2003-02-13) (aged 86)
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseElspeth Davies
Children2
EducationYale University (BA, MA, PhD)
Balliol College, Oxford (BLitt)

Walt Whitman Rostow OBE (rahs-TOU; October 7, 1916 – February 13, 2003) was an American economist, professor and political theorist who served as national security advisor to president of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson from 1966 to 1969.[1][2]

Rostow worked in the Office of Strategic Services during World War II and later was a foreign policy adviser and speechwriter for presidential candidate and then President John F. Kennedy; he is often credited with writing Kennedy's famous "New Frontier" speech.[3] Prominent for his role in shaping US foreign policy in Southeast Asia during the 1960s, he was a staunch anti-communist, noted for a belief in the efficacy of capitalism and free enterprise, and strongly supported US involvement in the Vietnam War. Rostow is known for his book The Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto (1960), which was used in several fields of social science. Rostow's theories were embraced by many officials in both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations as a possible counter to the increasing popularity of communism in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

His elder brother Eugene Rostow also held a number of high government foreign policy posts.

  1. ^ "The Cold Warrior Who Never Apologized". New York Times. September 8, 2017.
  2. ^ "Voice of U.S. Policy. Walt Whitman Rostow". New York Times. April 13, 1967.
  3. ^ "Walt Rostow". The Telegraph. 2003-02-24. Retrieved 2023-11-30.