Felix Cole
Office1st United States Ambassador to Ceylon
Term startAugust 3, 1949
Term endOctober 30, 1949
SuccessorJoseph C. Satterthwaite
Office 1United States Ambassador to Ethiopia
Term start 1October 5, 1945
Term end 1October 8, 1947
Predecessor 1John K. Caldwell
Successor 1George Robert Merrell
Birth date1887
Birth placeSt. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Death dateJuly 23, 1969
Death placeMontclair, New Jersey, U.S.
SpouseTatiana Zakushniak
Jeannette Watrous Berry
RelativesNelson Dewey (grandfather)[1]
EducationHarvard University
George Washington University Law School

Felix Cole (1887 – July 23, 1969) was an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Ethiopia and Ceylon. Prior to his service as an ambassador he served as a consul in Russia, Romania, Australia, Poland, Latvia, French Algeria, and Liberia.

Early life and education

Felix Cole was born in 1887, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Kate Dewey and John Cole. In 1910, he graduated from Harvard University and later graduated with a law degree from George Washington University Law School. After graduating from George Washington University Law School he started working for the Boston Herald. Cole's grandfather, Nelson Dewey, was the first governor of Wisconsin.[1][2][3]

On October 10, 1915, he married Tatiana Zakushniak, a Russian dancer, while serving as the United States consul in Petrograd, Russia, and had one child with her before he filed for divorce in 1926.[4][5]

Career

In 1915, Cole received a job in the United States Department of State. He served as the United States consul in Arkhangelsk, Russian Empire.[1] He was arrested by the Bolsheviks on July 7, 1918, and remained imprisoned until the Allies occupied Arkhangelsk in August.[6]

In 1920, Cole was assigned as the United States consul in Bucharest, Romania.[7] In 1924, he was assigned as the United States consul in Sydney, Australia.[8] In 1928, he was assigned as the United States consul in Warsaw, Poland.[9] During the 1930s he served as the Charge d'Affaires in Riga, Latvia.[10] In 1944, he was appointed to serve as the first secretary of the United States legation to Liberia and as the consul general in Monrovia, Liberia.[11]

During the 1940s he served as a consul in French Algeria and during his tenure he advised the United States against intervening against the actions of former Vichy officials on behalf of Algeria's 150,000 Jews.[12]

Ambassador

On February 5, 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Cole to serve as the United States Ambassador to Ethiopia and was later approved by the United States Senate on February 20.[13][14] On October 5, 1945, he presented his credentials and served until October 8, 1947.[15] George Robert Merrell was appointed by President Harry S. Truman to replace Cole.[16]

On March 29, 1948, President Truman appointed Cole to serve as the United States Ambassador to Ceylon and was later approved by the United States Senate on April 7.[17][18] Cole was the first person to serve as the United States Ambassador to Ceylon.[19] He presented his credentials on August 3, 1949, and served until October 30, 1949.[15] Joseph C. Satterthwaite was appointed by Truman to replace Cole.[20]

Later life

On July 18, 1953, Cole married Jeannette Watrous Berry.[21] He later served as chairman of the American Friends for Russian Freedom.[1]

On July 23, 1969, Cole died either at home or at the Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, New Jersey.[1][22][2]

References

  1. ^ "Felix Cole, Diplomat". The Montclair Times. July 31, 1969. p. 4. Archived August 13, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  2. ^ "Felix Cole, Montclair REsident, Served as U.S. Ambassador". The News. July 26, 1969. p. 28. Archived August 13, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  3. ^ "Parents". The Capital Times. March 29, 1931. p. 35. Archived August 14, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  4. ^ "Former Consul Seeks Divorce". The Baltimore Sun. August 10, 1926. p. 6. Archived August 14, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  5. ^ "Divorce with Tataiana Zakushniak". Evening Star. May 11, 1928. p. 35. Archived August 14, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  6. ^ "Anti-American Feeling Bolsheviki Brought Out". The Chattanooga News. August 7, 1918. p. 7. Archived August 13, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  7. ^ "New Places For Consuls". The Washington Post. November 27, 1920. p. 8. Archived August 13, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  8. ^ "Changes in Foreign Service". Evening Star. December 15, 1924. p. 2. Archived August 13, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  9. ^ "Named Consul General in Warsaw, Poland". Evening Star. August 28, 1928. p. 9. Archived August 14, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  10. ^ "Red Flag For U.S. Legation At Riga". Daily News. June 11, 1932. p. 4. Archived August 14, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  11. ^ "Rock Island Man Is On Liberia Consul Staff". The Dispatch. August 28, 1944. p. 3. Archived August 14, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  12. ^ Gerber (November 2, 1992). "The Jews of Spain Page 251". Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781439107836.
  13. ^ "Cole Envoy to Ethiopia". Courier Post. February 5, 1945. p. 11. Archived August 14, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  14. ^ "United States Senate approves Ethiopia nomination". Great Falls Tribune. February 20, 1945. p. 8. Archived August 14, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  15. ^ "Felix Cole (1887–1969)". United States Department of State. July 31, 1969. Archived August 14, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  16. ^ "George R. Merrill Named Minister To Ethiopia". The Courier-Journal. April 16, 1947. p. 10. Archived August 14, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  17. ^ "Ohioan Nominated Counsel of Treasury". The Birmingham News. March 29, 1948. p. 11. Archived August 15, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  18. ^ "Seante Okehs MacVeagh". The Waco News-Tribune. April 8, 1948. p. 1. Archived August 15, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  19. ^ "First Ambassador". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 23, 1949. p. 14. Archived August 15, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  20. ^ "Envoy To Ceylon Named". Star Tribune. September 8, 1949. p. 11. Archived August 15, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  21. ^ "Marriage to Jeannette Watrous Berry". The Montclair Times. July 23, 1953. p. 14. Archived August 15, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  22. ^ "Ex-Ambassador Dies". The Times-Tribune. July 26, 1969. p. 2. Archived August 13, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 15, 2020. – via Newspapers.com