Paul came to Princeton from Lockport (N.Y.) High School. At Princeton he enlisted in the Navy ROTC, majored in politics, and joined Charter Club. He also became active in Whig-Clio and the International Relations Club. His most memorable contribution to Princeton as an undergrad was arranging a 1959 campus visit by Fidel Castro, the then-recently installed revolutionary head of the Cuban government. Though meant to be an invitation-only event, it became very public when Fidel walked out onto Prospect Avenue as the club dinner hour ended. The pro-Castro vs. anti-Castro crowd that ensued earned a headline and photo in the next morning’s New York Times.

This was an early sign of Paul’s lifelong commitment to the Foreign Service. After his three years of service in the Navy and 1962 marriage to Dorcas, he formally joined it in 1963. They began a succession of postings, in some of which Dorcas was formally employed too, lasting into 1984. He also earned a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard in 1967. Several postings were to Latin America, and Paul became recognized for his commitment and expertise in that sector. His last posting was as ambassador to the Dominican Republic from 1988 to 1992.

After retiring from the State Department in 1994, Paul returned in effect to the Navy, serving for 23 years at the Naval War College as instructor in international economics, leader of the Latin American survey group. and admired mentor to a succession of rising officers. He also served as the Class of  ’60 memorialist from 2007 to 2015.

Paul died July 18, 2021, at home. He is survived by Dorcas, their three children (a daughter and Princeton sons ’86 and ’93), and six grandchildren. We have sent our sympathy.

Class Year: 
Undergraduate Class of 1960