William A. Crawford

William Avery Crawford (January 14, 1915 – December 14, 2001) was an American diplomat who served as the last Minister and first United States Ambassador to Romania, from 1962 to 1965.

Crawford was born on January 14, 1915; the son of John Raymond Crawford, a professor of Greek and Latin at Lafayette College, and Pauline Avery.

Educated abroad in France, he studied at Haverford College, and went abroad to Spain during the Spanish Civil War.

He graduated in 1936 with a Bachelor of Arts.

He later studied at the Russian Institute, now known as the Harriman Institute, at Columbia University.

After graduation, Crawford worked at a department store before joining the diplomatic corps.

Crawford was married twice: first to Barbara Gardner, from October 19, 1940, till her death in September 1979; and then to Gudrun Hadell.

From his first marriage, he had five children: three sons and two daughters.

Crawford joined the United States Foreign Service in 1941, serving in Moscow, Paris, Havana, and Prague.

Although subjected to a loyalty investigation under Executive Order 9835 in 1951, he passed, and continued his work in the Foreign Service.

He was chosen to be Minister in October 1961.

In February 1962, he presented his credentials as Minister, serving until the post was upgraded to Ambassador in 1964.

During this time, he helped to support Romania-United States relations in the fields of trade and cultural exchange.

He and his wife, Barbara, founded the American International School of Bucharest in 1962.

Crawford left his post in October 1965.

After Romania, Crawford was an assistant to Lyman Lemnitzer, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, from 1965 to 1967.

He retired from the Foreign Service in 1970.

He then taught at the Landon School, worked at a marketing company, finished his memoirs, and contributed to a biography on his mother.

Crawford died at his home on December 14, 2001, a month before his 87th birthday.

He was survived by his children and his second wife.