{{short description|American politician (1925–1975)}} {{Use American English|date=April 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder |honorific_prefix = |name = Vincent de Roulet |honorific_suffix = |image = |alt = |order = <!--Can be repeated up to eight times by adding a number--> |ambassador_from = United States |country = Jamaica |term_start = September 19, 1969 |term_end = July 18, 1973 |predecessor = Walter N. Tobriner |successor = Sumner Gerard |president = Richard M. Nixon |birth_date={{birth date text|1925}} |birth_place=Los Angeles, California, U.S. |death_date={{death date|1975|8|11}} (aged 49) |death_place=Falmouth Foreside, Maine, U.S. |spouse=Lorinda de Roulet |children=3 }}
'''Vincent William de Roulet''' (1925 – August 11, 1975) was an American businessman, politician, and statesman. He served as United States Ambassador to Jamaica from 1969 through 1973.
==Biography== De Roulet was born in Los Angeles, California. He lived there until moving to North Hills, New York, near Manhasset, in 1954.<ref name=":15">{{Cite news |date=March 21, 1960 |title=Novelist Chamales Dies in House Fire |work=Newsday |page=5 |id={{ProQuest|<!-- Insert ProQuest data here --> }}}}</ref><ref name=linda/>
===Business career=== De Roulet was elected to the board of directors of the Meadow Brook National Bank in 1964.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/05/18/archives/meadow-brook-bank-elects-new-director.html |title=Meadow Brook Bank Elects New Director |work=The New York Times |date=2012-06-10 |access-date=2012-07-11}}</ref> He also owned Towne-Oller and Associates, a market research firm.<ref name=linda>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n01SAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OHwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4585,960239&dq=vincent-de-roulet&hl=en|title=St. Petersburg Times |via= Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref> De Roulet served as Mayor of North Hills, New York.<ref name=":15" /><ref name=appointed/>
===Ambassadorship=== De Roulet was appointed United States Ambassador to Jamaica by President Richard M. Nixon in August 1969,<ref name=appointed>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BAkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TuEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2753,5132610&dq=vincent-de-roulet&hl=en|title=The Modesto Bee|via=Google News Archive Search<!-- Bot generated title -->}}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> and presented his credentials on October 23, 1969. While serving as ambassador, he allegedly sought political contributions from American corporations for foreign elections; Alcoa gave these contributions to Jamaican officials.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ngYkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jwUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5575,4236928&dq=vincent-de-roulet&hl=en|title=Ocala Star-Banner |via= Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref> He left the post on July 18, 1973, when the Government of Jamaica declared him ''persona non grata'';<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ILZQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VF8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6744,2860665&dq=vincent-de-roulet&hl=en|title=St. Petersburg Times |via=Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref> Michael Manley, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, requested that de Roulet be recalled after it was revealed that de Roulet suggested the United States Congress make a pre-election political deal before the 1972 Jamaican elections.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z4xLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wSMNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5037,5077547&dq=vincent-de-roulet&hl=en|title=The Press-Courier |via= Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref> He officially resigned in August.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=F29QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kBEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=930,229312&dq=vincent-de-roulet&hl=en|title=The Milwaukee Sentinel|via=Google News Archive Search}}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>
During the hearings of the United States Senate Watergate Committee, it was alleged that de Roulet received an "express commitment" from the Nixon administration through Herbert W. Kalmbach, Nixon's personal lawyer, to receive a more prestigious ambassadorship in Europe in exchange for a campaign donation of $100,000 to Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign;<ref>Frank A. Aukofer, Journal Washington Bureau. (July 19, 1974). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z1oaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6SgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4725,4339652&dq=vincent-de-roulet&hl=en Reaction: "Nixon Transcript Stuns Probe Panel"]{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}. ''The Milwaukee Journal'' p. 2. Retrieved August 31, 2014.</ref> de Roulet and Nixon both denied the charge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HOxRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=S3MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7395,1780217&dq=vincent-de-roulet&hl=en|title=St. Petersburg Times |via= Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UbhaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JFMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4220,3649600&dq=vincent-de-roulet&hl=en|title=The Bryan Times |via= Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref>
===Personal life=== De Roulet married Lorinda de Roulet (''née'' Payson), the daughter of Joan Whitney Payson and Charles Shipman Payson, in 1951.<ref>{{cite news |first=Arthur |last=Stettner |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0E15FE355B177B93C7A8178DD85F458585F9 |title=Vincent de Roulet Weds Miss Payson – Bride, Escorted by Father, is Attended by 7 at Ceremony in St. Mary's, Manhasset De Fries-Hubbell Ulmann-Solomon |work=The New York Times |date=1951-06-15 |access-date=2012-07-11}}</ref> The couple had three children, daughters Whitney and Bebe, and son Daniel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fSJmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xWcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3798,4035280&dq=lorinda-de-roulet&hl=en|title=The Madison Courier |via= Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref> De Roulet died in 1975 of a heart attack.<ref>{{cite news|title=De Roulet dead|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D04E5DD1E3AE034BC4952DFBE66838E669EDE|access-date=October 8, 2015|work=New York Times|url-access=subscription |date=August 11, 1975}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{Cite web |url = https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/de-roulet-vincent-william |title = Vincent William de Roulet |access-date = 2011-05-22 |publisher = U. S. Department of State}}
{{s-start}} {{s-dip}} {{succession box|title=United States Ambassador to Jamaica|before=Walter N. Tobriner|after=Sumner Gerard|years=1969–1973}} {{s-end}} {{US Ambassadors to Jamaica}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Roulet, Vincent}} Category:1925 births Category:1975 deaths Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Jamaica Category:New York (state) Republicans Category:North Hills, New York Category:People from Manhasset, New York Category:Mayors of places in New York (state) Category:Politicians from Los Angeles Category:20th-century New York (state) politicians Category:20th-century American diplomats