Diplomat Wisner ’61’s Service in Foreign Policy

I was delighted to see Joseph Nye ’58 included and featured in the February “Lives Lived & Lost” issue. Over the years, I knew Joe personally slightly and a lot through his writings and reputation. In all that time, I never heard a harsh word from or about Joe. 

May I suggest that a fit companion to him for importance in foreign policy would have been Frank Wisner ’61, who also died in 2025. After learning Arabic at Princeton (in a cohort that also included classmates Andras Hamori and John Waterbury), Frank served with stellar distinction in diplomatic and other government posts, with a record range of ambassadorships that included Zambia, the Philippines, India, and Egypt, where he stayed for an unusually long time because of the close relationship he formed with the country’s leader. Frank also served as assistant secretary of both State and Defense. He was called back after his retirement to conduct the peace talks for the former Yugoslavia, where his fellow diplomats called him “a tough negotiator.” Only a few Princetonians have equaled Frank Wisner for service to the nation and the world.