{{Short description|American diplomat (1937–2017)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Richard Solomon | predecessor1 = [[Gaston J. Sigur Jr.]] | president1 = [[George H. W. Bush]] | president2 = [[Ronald Reagan]] | term_end2 = January 21, 1989 | term_start2 = March 3, 1986 | predecessor2 = [[Peter Rodman]] | successor2 = [[Dennis B. Ross]] | office2 = 15th [[Director of Policy Planning]] | term_end1 = July 10, 1992 | term_start1 = June 23, 1989 | successor1 = [[William Clark Jr. (diplomat)|William Clark, Jr.]] | office1 = 18th [[Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs]] | birth_name = Richard Harvey Solomon | successor = [[John Negroponte]] | predecessor = [[Frank G. Wisner]] | president = [[George H. W. Bush]] | term_end = March 1, 1993 | term_start = September 4, 1992 | office = [[List of ambassadors of the United States to the Philippines|United States Ambassador to the Philippines]] | alma_mater = [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] ([[Master of Science|S.B.]], [[Ph.D.]]) | birth_place = [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], U.S. | death_place = [[Bethesda, Maryland]], U.S. | death_date = March 13, 2017 (aged 79) | birth_date = June 19, 1937 | image = Richard H. Solomon, Dean Acheson Lecture June 28, 2012.jpg }} '''Richard Harvey Solomon''' (June 19, 1937 – March 13, 2017) was an American diplomat and academic.<ref name=":0">Richard H. Solomon Oral History, Interviewed by Charles Stuart Kennedy, Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection, Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, Arlington, VA, adst.org.</ref><ref>[http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79113279.html Library of Congress Name Authority File: Solomon, Richard H., 1937–]</ref>
A scholar of Chinese politics, Solomon was a faculty member at the [[University of Michigan]] before joining the [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] under the [[Richard Nixon]] administration. He left the NSC in 1976 to join the [[RAND Corporation]] as head of its political science department, where he remained until returning to government service in 1986.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Richard H. Solomon, RAND Policy Analyst and Former Diplomat, Dies at 79 |url=https://www.rand.org/news/press/2017/03/14.html |access-date=2026-04-05 |website=www.rand.org |language=en}}</ref>
He served as [[Director of Policy Planning|director of policy planning]] in the [[United States Department of State|Department of State]] from 1986 to 1989, [[Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs|assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs]] from 1989 to 1992, and [[U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines|U.S. ambassador to the Philippines]] from 1992 to 1993.
In September 1993, he became president of the [[United States Institute of Peace]], a position he held until his retirement in September 2012. He subsequently returned to the RAND Corporation as a senior fellow and remained there until his death in 2017.
==Early life and education==
Richard Harvey Solomon was born in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] on June 19, 1937. His family background is of German and French Jewish émigrés who settled in the eastern United States around the turn of the 20th century. Previous generations of Solomon's family included salesmen of German silver, distinguished academics including [[Milton J. Rosenau]], and an art dealer who funded [[Pierre-Auguste Renoir]] and other [[Impressionism|Impressionist]] artists. Solomon's maternal grandfather successfully managed a knitting mill during the Second World War and supported Solomon's high school and university education after the death of his father.
Solomon's father, a furniture salesman who also served in the [[United States Coast Guard|United State Coast Guard]], died from a [[pulmonary embolism]] resulting from an operation at the age of 37 in 1945. His mother took up the same profession after the death of Solomon's father.
Solomon was sent to study at the [[Westtown School]] at the age of 12 and graduated from high school in the spring of 1955. He later credited Westtown for encouraging his interest in public affairs and entering a career in public service. In the summer of 1953, at the age of 15, Solomon was part of a Quaker work camp in California and other parts of the west, where he worked with a group of Russian émigrés, contributing to his interest in public and international affairs, which he recalled as being much more attractive than the business environment in which he was raised.
Solomon's strong record in the sciences and his early interest in photography led him to enroll at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] in the fall of 1955. Solomon entered MIT to study chemistry, but having not enjoyed science, Solomon left in the middle of his third year with a colleague to hitchhike around Europe for nine months. He returned to finish his studies and received a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1960 after completing an undergraduate thesis titled "Aerial photography, a research tool for the social sciences."<ref>Solomon, Richard H. ''Aerial photography, a research tool for the social sciences.'' Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Economics and Social Science, 1960. [https://mit.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01MIT_INST/10692a4/alma990007389330106761]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Richard H. Solomon papers, Circa 1962-1972 (majority within 1965-1967) - University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library - University of Michigan Finding Aids |url=https://findingaids.lib.umich.edu/catalog/umich-bhl-2008034#summary |access-date=2026-04-07 |website=findingaids.lib.umich.edu |language=en}}</ref>
Solomon remained at MIT for graduate studies and developed his interest in China under the influence of [[Lucian Pye]]. After a call from [[Walt Rostow]] seeking a China analyst, Pye enabled Solomon to acquire a scholarship to study at the Air Force program in Chinese language studies at [[Yale University]] in the summer of 1961.
With the support of a [[Ford Foundation]] fellowship and research grants from MIT and the [[University of Michigan]], Solomon conducted research for his dissertation in Taiwan and Hong Kong from 1964 to 1965. He also continued his language studies at [[Harvard University]] and [[National Taiwan University]]. While conducting research in Hong Kong, Solomon befriended figures who would later become influential figures in American diplomacy, such as [[Morton I. Abramowitz|Morton Abramowitz]], [[William H. Gleysteen|William Gleysteen]], and [[Nicholas Platt]].
For his dissertation, Solomon interviewed over a hundred Chinese refugees in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and received his Ph.D. in political science in 1966 after completing a dissertation on Chinese political culture under the supervision of Pye.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cullison |first=Alan |date=2017-03-14 |title=Richard Solomon, Former Diplomat Who Helped Nixon Open Relations With China, Dies |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/richard-solomon-former-diplomat-who-helped-nixon-open-relations-with-china-dies-1489532159 |access-date=2026-04-05 |work=Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Adam |date=2017-03-14 |title=Richard Solomon, Kissinger aide involved in 'Ping-Pong diplomacy' with China, dies at 79 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref>
== Career == In 1966, Solomon became a professor of political science at the [[University of Michigan]]. He left in 1971 to become a staff member of the [[United States National Security Council]], responsible for Asian Affairs. In this position, he worked with then-[[National Security Advisor (United States)|National Security Advisor]] [[Henry Kissinger]] on the normalization of relations with China.
In 1976, he joined the Rand Corporation in [[Santa Monica, California]] as head of the political science department, a position he held until 1986. Solomon then joined the [[United States Department of State]] in 1986 as [[Director of Policy Planning]], serving until 1989.
On March 24, 1989, [[President of the United States]] [[George H. W. Bush]] nominated Solomon as [[Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs]] serving from June 23, 1989 until July 10, 1992. As Assistant Secretary, Solomon helped negotiate the [[1991 Paris Peace Agreements]], by which the [[Vietnam]]-backed [[People's Republic of Kampuchea]] agreed to turn over control of Cambodia to the [[United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia]], an international peacekeeping force (with Cambodia gaining independence in 1995). Solomon also facilitated nuclear proliferation discussions between [[North Korea]] and [[South Korea]]. He played a role in the formation of the [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]] initiative. He also participated in bilateral negotiations with [[Vietnam]], [[Mongolia]], and Japan.
In 1990, Solomon was offered the opportunity to succeed [[James R. Lilley]] as U.S. ambassador to China but turned it down due to the immobilization of the U.S.-China relationship in the aftermath of the [[1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre|Tiananmen Square massacre]].<ref name=":0" />
President [[George H. W. Bush]] nominated Solomon as [[United States Ambassador to the Philippines]]. He was confirmed and served in that role from September 4, 1992 until March 1, 1993.
Solomon left government service in 1993, becoming president of the [[United States Institute of Peace]]. He served in that role until September 2012. In October of that year he returned to the RAND Corporation as a senior fellow.
Solomon published eight books, including "Mao's Revolution and the Chinese Political Culture" (1971, 1999), "A Revolution is Not a Dinner Party" (1975), "The China Factor" (1981), "Chinese Negotiating Behavior" (1985 and 2000), "Exiting Indochina" (2000), "American Negotiating Behavior" (2007), and "Peace Building" (2012). He served as a member of [[Partnership for a Secure America]]'s bipartisan advisory board until his death in 2017. The Partnership is a non-profit organization dedicated to rebuilding the bipartisan center in American foreign policy and national security.
Solomon received the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) from [[Whittier College]] in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.whittier.edu/alumni/poetnation/honorary|title=Honorary Degrees {{!}} Whittier College|website=www.whittier.edu|access-date=2019-12-06}}</ref>
== Personal life == Solomon's first marriage to Carol Schwartz ended in divorce. He was married to his second wife, Anne Greene Keatley Solomon, for 25 years at the time of his death.
Solomon had two children from his first marriage: Lisa Solomon, and former [[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]] reporter Jonathan "Jay" Solomon.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-28 |title=A Former WSJ Reporter Is Suing — Over the Email Hack That Got Him Fired |url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/10/28/reporter-suing-email-hack-fired-00063901 |access-date=2026-04-05 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Press |first=The Associated |date=2017-06-21 |title='Wall Street Journal' Fires Jay Solomon Over Ethical Lapses |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/06/21/533881518/wall-street-journal-fires-jay-solomon-over-ethical-lapses |access-date=2026-04-05 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Alpert |first=Lukas I. |date=2017-06-21 |title=Wall Street Journal Reporter Is Fired After Dealings With Source |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/journal-reporter-is-fired-after-allegations-of-dealings-with-source-1498084216 |access-date=2026-04-05 |work=Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Rowland |first=Geoffrey |date=2017-06-21 |title=WSJ fires reporter over ethics violation |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/338829-wsj-fires-reporter-over-ethics-violation |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20201112030521/https://thehill.com/homenews/media/338829-wsj-fires-reporter-over-ethics-violation |archive-date=2020-11-12 |access-date=2026-04-05 |work=TheHill |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Graham |first=David A. |date=2017-06-21 |title=The Fall of a Foreign-Affairs Reporter |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/06/arms-and-the-man/531168/ |access-date=2026-04-05 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Grynbaum |first=Michael M. |last2=Ember |first2=Sydney |date=2017-06-21 |title=Wall Street Journal Fires Reporter With Ties to Iranian-Born Magnate |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/21/business/media/jay-solomon-fired-wall-street-journal.html |access-date=2026-04-05 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
== Death == Solomon died on March 13, 2017, at his home in [[Bethesda, Maryland]] from brain cancer at the age of 79.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://politicalsciencenow.com/richard-h-solomon-political-scientist-and-former-diplomat-dies-at-79/|title=Richard H. Solomon, Political Scientist and Former Diplomat, Dies at 79|date=2017-03-16|website=politicalsciencenow.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-02}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=16846 President Bush's nomination of Solomon as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100529043147/http://www.usip.org/specialists/richard-h-solomon Profile from the United States Institute of Peace] * [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/richard-solomon-kissinger-aide-involved-in-ping-pong-diplomacy-with-china-dies-at-79/2017/03/14/a8866d74-ef03-11e6-b4ff-ac2cf509efe5_story.html Richard Solomon, Kissinger aide involved in ‘Ping-Pong diplomacy’ with China, dies at 79] *{{C-SPAN|9004}}
{{s-start}} {{s-gov}} {{succession box| before=[[Gaston J. Sigur, Jr.]]| title=[[Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs]]| after=[[William Clark, Jr. (ambassador)|William Clark, Jr.]]| years=June 23, 1989 – July 10, 1992 }} {{s-dip}} {{s-bef|before=[[Frank G. Wisner]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[United States Ambassador to the Philippines]]|years=September 4, 1992 – March 1, 1993}} {{s-aft|after=[[John Negroponte]]}} {{s-end}} {{US Ambassadors to the Philippines}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Solomon, Richard H.}} [[Category:1937 births]] [[Category:2017 deaths]] [[Category:Writers from Philadelphia]] [[Category:20th-century American Jews]] [[Category:Directors of policy planning]] [[Category:Assistant secretaries of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs]] [[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to the Philippines]] [[Category:MIT School of Science alumni]] [[Category:University of Michigan faculty]] [[Category:RAND Corporation people]] [[Category:Deaths from brain cancer in Maryland]] [[Category:MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences alumni]] [[Category:21st-century American Jews]] [[Category:20th-century American diplomats]]