Hoffman Philip

Herman Hoffman Philip (July 13, 1872 – October 31, 1951)[1] was an American diplomat and career foreign service officer.

Hoffman Philip
United States Ambassador to Chile
In office November 7, 1935 – October 31, 1937
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	Hal H. Sevier
Succeeded by	Norman Armour
United States Ambassador to Norway
In office November 15, 1930 – August 3, 1935
President	Herbert Hoover Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	Laurits S. Swenson
Succeeded by	Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr.
United States Ambassador to Iran
In office January 7, 1926 – September 16, 1928
President	Calvin Coolidge
Preceded by	Joseph Saul Kornfeld
Succeeded by	Charles C. Hart
United States Ambassador to Uruguay
In office September 19, 1922 – April 10, 1925
President	Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge
Preceded by	Robert Emmett Jeffery
Succeeded by	Ulysses Grant-Smith
United States Ambassador to Colombia
In office February 22, 1919 – May 29, 1922
President	Woodrow Wilson Warren G. Harding
Preceded by	Thaddeus Austin Thompson
Succeeded by	Samuel H. Piles
United States Ambassador to Ethiopia
In office July 6, 1909 – February 8, 1910
President	William H. Taft
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Addison E. Southard
Personal details
Born	Herman Hoffman Philip (1872-07-13)July 13, 1872 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	October 31, 1951(1951-10-31) (aged 79) Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Spouse(s)	Josephine Roberts
Mother	Eliza Worthington
Father	William Henry Philip
Education	University of Cambridge

Early life

Herman Hoffman Philip was born on July 13, 1872, to William Henry Philip and Eliza Worthington in Washington, D.C. and later attended the University of Cambridge.[2] During the Spanish–American War he served in the Rough Riders where he would befriend future President Theodore Roosevelt.[3]

Career

In 1902, he was appointed as the United States Deputy Consul General in Tangier. From 1902 to 1905, he served as the Vice Consul in Tangier and later as Consul General in Tangier from 1905 to 1906. During his tenure as a diplomat in Morocco he participated as a negotiator in the Perdicaris affair.[2]

On July 20, 1908, he was appointed to serve as the first Consul General to the Ethiopian Empire while the Senate was in recess. The Senate recommissioned him on December 9, 1908, and he presented his credentials on July 6, 1909, officially opening relations between the United States and Ethiopia.[4] However, due to health problems he only served for one year. The vice consul general in Ethiopia would maintain relations until his death three years later. The British took control of relations until the consulate was formally closed as there wasn't a high enough level of commerce to justify another commercial treaty with Ethiopia. Diplomatic relations between the United States and Ethiopia would not be reestablished until Addison E. Southard was appointed in 1927.[5]

He served as United States Ambassador to Colombia from 1917 to 1922. He served as United States Ambassador to Uruguay from 1922 to 1925. He served as United States Ambassador to Iran from 1925 to 1928. He served as United States Ambassador to Norway from 1930 to 1935. He served as United States Ambassador to Chile from 1935 to 1937.[6]

On October 31, 1951, he died in Santa Barbara, California.[7]

References

1. California, Death Index, 1940-1997
2. "Is Negotiating With The Sultan". The Washington Times. June 2, 1904. p. 1. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Retired U.S. Envoy, Hoffman Philip, Dies". Arizona Daily Star. November 1, 1951. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa".
5. Skinner, Robert Peet (January 1, 2003). "Page 10 The 1903 Skinner Mission to Ethiopia & a Century of American-Ethiopian Relations". Tsehai Publisher. p. 10 – via Google Books.
6. "Hoffman Philip (1872–1951)".
7. "Deaths Elsewhere Hoffman Philip, Ex-Diplomat, Dies". The Miami News. November 1, 1951. p. 3. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

• Hoffman Philip at Find a Grave

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Office established	United States Ambassador to Ethiopia 1909–1910	Succeeded by Addison E. Southard
Preceded by Thaddeus Austin Thompson	United States Ambassador to Colombia 1917–1922	Succeeded by Samuel H. Piles
Preceded by Robert Emmett Jeffery	United States Ambassador to Uruguay 1922–1925	Succeeded by Ulysses Grant-Smith
Preceded by Joseph Saul Kornfeld	United States Ambassador to Iran 1925–1928	Succeeded by Charles C. Hart
Preceded by Laurits S. Swenson	United States Ambassador to Norway 1930–1935	Succeeded by Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr.
Preceded by Hal H. Sevier	United States Ambassador to Chile 1935–1937	Succeeded by Norman Armour