William R. Rivkin

William Robert Rivkin (April 16, 1919 – March 19, 1967)[1] was a United States diplomat who served as ambassador to Luxembourg, Senegal, and Gambia in the 1960s.

William R. Rivkin
United States Ambassador to Luxembourg
In office
1962–1965
PresidentJohn F. Kennedy
United States Ambassador to Senegal
In office
1966–1967
PresidentLyndon B. Johnson
United States Ambassador to the Gambia
In office
1966–1967
PresidentLyndon B. Johnson
Personal details
Born
William Robert Rivkin

(1919-04-16)April 16, 1919
Muscatine, Iowa
DiedMarch 19, 1967(1967-03-19) (aged 47)
NationalityUnited States
Spouse(s)Helen Enid Hammerman
RelationsCindy S. Moelis (daughter-in-law)
Joanne H. Alter (sister-in-law)
ChildrenLaura Rivkin Ledford
Julie Rivkin Wheeler
Robert S. Rivkin
Charles Rivkin
EducationUniversity of Iowa (B.A.)
Northwestern University (J.D.)
OccupationDiplomat

Early life and education

William Rivkin was born in 1919, the first child of Samuel Wolf Rivkin, an immigrant from the Soviet Union who worked as a local tailor, and Florence Fryer, a British immigrant who had met Samuel in Muscatine, Iowa. He received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1941 and a law degree from Northwestern University in 1948. While at Iowa, he was the national intercollegiate oratorical champion. At Northwestern, he edited the Northwestern Law Review and finished first in his law class.

After graduation from Iowa, Ambassador Rivkin joined the United States Army, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel during World War II. He was awarded the Bronze Star[2] and received the French l'ordre de la santé publique, rank of chevalier.

Government service

In 1956, Rivkin served as deputy director of Adlai E. Stevenson II's second Presidential campaign, and in 1960 was the Midwest coordinator of the Presidential Campaign of then-Senator John F. Kennedy.

He was a U.S. diplomat, serving as Ambassador to Luxembourg (1962-1965)[2] under President John F. Kennedy, and to Senegal (1966-1967)[2] and the Gambia (1966-1967)[2] under President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Phi Beta Kappa.

Personal life and death

In 1959, Rivkin married Helen Enid Hammerman.[3][4] Helen's grandfather founded J.K. Industries in Chicago and her father, Sol Hammerman, and her Uncle Meyer Hammerman, grew it into one of the nation's largest children's clothing manufacturers at the time.[5] They remained married until his death in 1967. They had four children:

In 1971, Enid remarried to Dr. John Sterry Long and dedicated the rest of her life to humanitarian causes particularly focusing on the delivery of medical and food aid to distressed populations in remote regions of the world.[3]

Rivkin died in 1967. He is interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.[2] The annual Rivkin award of the United States Foreign Service is presented in his honour.[3]

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References
  1. Arlington National Cemetery Explorer
  2. Arlington National Cemetery Website: "William Robert Rivkin retrieved February 20, 2013
  3. Chicago Tribune: "Enid H. Long, 71 - Served on college board, medical relief missions" By James Janega January 29, 2002
  4. Chicago Tribune: "Dr. John Sterry Long, 1921-2013 - Rush obstetrician-gynecologist delivered more than 10,000 babies" By Patrick Svitek January 11, 2013 | Neal Ball, the committee's founder, met Dr. Long and his second wife, the late Enid Hammerman Rivkin Long
  5. Chicago Tribune: "Robert Rivkin takes on challenge of Toyota inquest with Transportation Department - Chicago attorney’s family ties to national politics run deep" By Melissa Harris February 28, 2010
  6. Chicago Tribune: "Robert S. Rivkin - Department of Transportation General Counsel retrieved February 20, 2013
  7. New York Times: "Cindy Moelis and Robert Rivkin Marry" May 08, 1988
  8. White House website Staff Bios: "Cindy S. Moelis, Director" retrieved February 20, 2013
  9. New York Times: "New U.S. Envoy Takes Up Post" By BRIAN KNOWLTON August 16, 2009
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Mercer Cook		 United States Ambassador to the Gambia
1966-1967		 Succeeded by
L. Dean Brown
Preceded by
Mercer Cook		 United States Ambassador to Senegal
1966-1967		 Succeeded by
L. Dean Brown
Preceded by
James Wine		 United States Ambassador to Luxembourg
1962–1965		 Succeeded by
Patricia Roberts Harris
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