# William Tapley Bennett Jr.

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American diplomat (1917–1994)

William Tapley Bennett Jr. W. Tapley Bennett, c. 1965 19th Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs In office November 17, 1983 – January 4, 1985 Preceded by Powell A. Moore Succeeded by William L. Ball 12th U.S. Ambassador to NATO In office April 26, 1977 – March 31, 1983 President Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan Preceded by Robert Strausz-Hupé Succeeded by David Manker Abshire U.S. Ambassador to Portugal In office July 20, 1966 – July 21, 1969 President Lyndon B. Johnson Preceded by George W. Anderson, Jr. Succeeded by Ridgway B. Knight U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic In office March 23, 1964 – April 13, 1966 President Lyndon B. Johnson Preceded by John Bartlow Martin Succeeded by John Hugh Crimmins Personal details Born (1917-04-01)April 1, 1917 Griffin, Georgia, U.S. Died November 29, 1994(1994-11-29) (aged 77) Washington D.C., U.S. Resting place Washington National Cathedral Spouse Margaret Rutherfurd White Alma mater University of Georgia George Washington University Law School National War College

**William Tapley Bennett Jr.** (April 1, 1917 – November 29, 1994) was an American [diplomat](/source/Diplomat) who served as [Ambassador to the Dominican Republic](/source/United_States_Ambassador_to_the_Dominican_Republic) during the [1965 civil war](/source/Dominican_Civil_War) and who recommended that President Johnson intervene with United States troops.

## Early life

Bennett was born in [Griffin, Georgia](/source/Griffin%2C_Georgia) on April 1, 1917. He was the only child of William Tapley Bennett Sr. (1891–1982) and Annie Mem ([née](/source/N%C3%A9e) Little) Bennett (1894–1965).[1][2]

His maternal grandparents were Peyton Brantley "Mem" Little and Julia Elizabeth (née Neal) Little.[1]

Bennett attended the [University of Georgia](/source/University_of_Georgia) where he was a member of the [Sigma Chi](/source/Sigma_Chi) fraternity. After doing graduate work at the [University of Freiburg](/source/University_of_Freiburg) in Germany from 1937 to 1938, he returned to the United States and earned a law degree from [George Washington University Law School](/source/George_Washington_University_Law_School).[3]

## Career

After graduation from law school, Bennett joined the [Foreign Service](/source/United_States_Foreign_Service) in 1941. He served as a [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) intelligence officer during [World War II](/source/World_War_II). From 1951 to 1954, Bennett was Deputy Director to the Office of South American Affairs. From 1954 to 1955, he studied at the [National War College](/source/National_War_College) and for two years after, he served as Special Assistant to the [Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs](/source/Under_Secretary_of_State_for_Political_Affairs). From 1957 to 1964, he acted as Counselor and Minister at the U.S. Embassies in [Rome, Italy](/source/Rome%2C_Italy), in [Vienna, Austria](/source/Vienna%2C_Austria), and in [Athens, Greece](/source/Athens%2C_Greece).[4]

President [Lyndon Johnson](/source/Lyndon_Johnson) appointed him Ambassador to the Dominican Republic after the previous Ambassador, [John Bartlow Martin](/source/John_Bartlow_Martin), resigned after the [Kennedy assassination](/source/Kennedy_assassination) on the very day in which [Juan Bosch](/source/Juan_Bosch_(politician)), then President of the Dominican Republic, was toppled in a [coup d'etat](/source/Coup_d'etat). While Ambassador, Bennett "advised President Johnson and members of Congress that the revolt was led by Communists" and recommended President Johnson intervene with United States troops during the [Dominican Civil War](/source/Dominican_Civil_War).[3] Bennett was heavily criticized for his report and recommendation.[5]

Reportedly "seeking relief from the tropical heat of the Dominican Republic,"[4] Johnson appointed him the [Ambassador to Portugal](/source/United_States_Ambassador_to_Portugal) in 1966.[6] He served in that role until [Richard Nixon](/source/Richard_Nixon) became president in 1969 and he was succeeded by [Ridgway B. Knight](/source/Ridgway_B._Knight), who up until that point was the [Ambassador to Belgium](/source/United_States_Ambassador_to_Belgium).[3]

Beginning in 1972, he began to serve concurrently as Ambassador to the [United Nations Security Council](/source/United_Nations_Security_Council) and Deputy [United States Representative to the United Nations](/source/United_States_Representative_to_the_United_Nations).[4] After [Jimmy Carter](/source/Jimmy_Carter) became president in 1977, Bennett was appointed the [United States Permanent Representative to NATO](/source/United_States_Permanent_Representative_to_NATO), serving from 1977 through 1983, including when [Ronald Reagan](/source/Ronald_Reagan) became president in 1981.[3]

On November 14, 1983, he was appointed [Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs](/source/Assistant_Secretary_of_State_for_Legislative_Affairs), serving from November 17, 1983, to January 4, 1985.[7]

### Later career

After retiring in 1985 he served as adjunct professor of international law at the [University of Georgia](/source/University_of_Georgia).[3] From 1991 to 1992, he served as president of the [Atlantic Treaty Association](/source/Atlantic_Treaty_Association).[4]

## Personal life

On June 23, 1945, Bennett was married to Margaret Rutherfurd White in [Bernardsville, New Jersey](/source/Bernardsville%2C_New_Jersey).[8] Margaret, a [Foxcroft School](/source/Foxcroft_School) graduate who attended [Barnard College](/source/Barnard_College) and the Institute of Musical Art of the [Juilliard School of Music](/source/Juilliard_School), was the daughter of [John Campbell White](/source/John_Campbell_White_(diplomat)) (the [U.S. Ambassador to Peru](/source/United_States_Ambassador_to_Peru) and [Haiti](/source/United_States_Ambassador_to_Haiti)),[9] a granddaughter of [Henry White](/source/Henry_White_(diplomat)) (the [U.S. Ambassador to France](/source/United_States_Ambassador_to_France) and [Italy](/source/United_States_Ambassador_to_Italy)),[10] and a niece of [Jay Pierrepont Moffat](/source/Jay_Pierrepont_Moffat), the [U.S. Ambassador to Canada](/source/U.S._Ambassador_to_Canada).[11] Together, they were the parents of five children:[3]

- William Tapley Bennett III of [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.)

- John Campbell White Bennett of [Charleston, South Carolina](/source/Charleston%2C_South_Carolina), a [U.S. Navy](/source/U.S._Navy) [Cmdr.](/source/Commander_(United_States))

- Anne B. Bennett of [Lexington, Massachusetts](/source/Lexington%2C_Massachusetts)

- Ellen Pierrepont Bennett, who married Rev. Ralph C. Godsall, the Chaplain of [Trinity College, Cambridge](/source/Trinity_College%2C_Cambridge), in 1980.[12]

- Victoria R. Bennett of [Seattle, Washington](/source/Seattle%2C_Washington).[13]

He died after a long illness in Washington D.C., on November 29, 1994.[3][14] His remains were interred in [Washington National Cathedral](/source/Washington_National_Cathedral).[15]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Hebron1995_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Hebron1995_1-1) [*Hebron Presbyterian Church : God's Pilgrim People 1796-1996*](https://books.google.com/books?id=YcxMtTlvsV4C&pg=PA357). [Atlanta, Georgia](/source/Atlanta%2C_Georgia): Dwight Tabor. 1995. p. 357. Retrieved 29 March 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Tapley1993_2-0)** Tapley, Ray (1993). [*Tapley: A Family of Georgia and the South*](https://books.google.com/books?id=AT9WAAAAMAAJ). Greencrest Press. p. 1999. Retrieved 29 March 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-WTBJrObit1994_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-WTBJrObit1994_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-WTBJrObit1994_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-WTBJrObit1994_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-WTBJrObit1994_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-WTBJrObit1994_3-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-WTBJrObit1994_3-6) Lueck, Thomas J. (1 December 1994). ["William Tapley Bennett Jr., 77, Envoy to Dominican Republic"](https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9503E0DC1130F932A35751C1A962958260). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. Retrieved 29 March 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-uga_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-uga_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-uga_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-uga_4-3) ["William Tapley Bennett, Jr. Papers"](http://russelldoc.galib.uga.edu/russell/view?docId=ead/RBRL011WTB-ead.xml;query=%22reflections%20on%20georgia%20politics%20oral%20history%20collection%22;brand=default). *russelldoc.galib.uga.edu*. [University of Georgia](/source/University_of_Georgia). Retrieved 29 March 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Palmer2015_5-0)** Palmer Jr., General Bruce (2015). [*Intervention in the Caribbean: The Dominican Crisis of 1965*](https://books.google.com/books?id=I5UfBgAAQBAJ&pg=PR9). [University Press of Kentucky](/source/University_Press_of_Kentucky). p. 9. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780813150024](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780813150024). Retrieved 29 March 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR WILLIAM TAPLEY BENNETT, JR"](https://adst.org/OH%20TOCs/Bennett,%20W.%20Tapley%20Jr.toc.pdf) (PDF). *Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training*. 16 June 1988. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240717191546/https://adst.org/OH%20TOCs/Bennett,%20W.%20Tapley%20Jr.toc.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-WTBJrstate_7-0)** ["William Tapley Bennett Jr. - People - Department History - Office of the Historian"](https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/bennett-william-tapley). *history.state.gov*. [Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs United States Department of State](/source/United_States_Department_of_State). Retrieved 29 March 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1945Engagement_8-0)** ["Margaret R. White Prospective Bride; Their Engagements Are Announced"](https://www.nytimes.com/1945/03/12/archives/margaret-r-white-prospective-bride-their-engagements-are-announced.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. 12 March 1945. Retrieved 15 January 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-JCWObit1967_9-0)** ["JOHN C. WHITE, 83, A CAREER DIPLOMAT"](https://www.nytimes.com/1967/06/12/archives/john-c-white-83-a-career-diplomat.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. 12 June 1967. Retrieved 21 July 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1945Wedding_10-0)** ["MARGARET R. WHITE MARRIED IN JERSEY; Daughter of Ex-Ambassador to Peru Becomes Bride of Lieut. William T. Bennett Jr. WEARS IVORY SATIN GOWN Rev. Robert Bosher Performs Ceremony in Bernardsville Church--Reception Held"](https://www.nytimes.com/1945/06/24/archives/margaret-r-white-married-in-jersey-daughter-of-exambassador-to-peru.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. 24 June 1945. Retrieved 15 January 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-WMWObit1993_11-0)** ["Elizabeth White, 94, An Environmentalist"](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/22/obituaries/elizabeth-white-94-an-environmentalist.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. 22 June 1993. Retrieved 15 January 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1980Wedding_12-0)** ["Bennett-Godsall"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30054890/bennettgodsall/). *[The Atlanta Constitution](/source/The_Atlanta_Constitution)*. April 27, 1980. p. 103. Retrieved 29 March 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Twins1950_13-0)** ["Twins to William T. Bennetts Jr"](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1950/06/30/91107020.pdf) (PDF). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. 30 June 1950. Retrieved 29 March 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-WaPoObit1994_14-0)** ["W.T. BENNETT, AMBASSADOR FOR LBJ, DIES"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/12/01/wt-bennett-ambassador-for-lbj-dies/56678c37-9ff2-416d-b076-72388e8a3dcb/). *[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)*. December 1, 1994. Retrieved 29 March 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** *Washington National Cathedral Guidebook*. Washington, D.C.: [Washington National Cathedral](/source/Washington_National_Cathedral). 2008. p. 135. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-615-23612-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-615-23612-4).

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [William Tapley Bennett Jr.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:William_Tapley_Bennett_Jr.).

- [William Tapley Bennett, Jr. Papers](http://russelldoc.galib.uga.edu/russell/view?docId=ead/RBRL011WTB-ead.xml;query=%22reflections%20on%20georgia%20politics%20oral%20history%20collection%22;brand=default)

- [Office of the Historian](/source/Office_of_the_Historian). ["William Tapley Bennett Jr. (1917–1994)"](https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/bennett-william-tapley).

- The short film [*STAFF FILM REPORT 66-17A (1966)*](https://archive.org/details/gov.dod.dimoc.26966) is available for free viewing and download at the [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive).

Diplomatic posts Preceded by John Bartlow Martin U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic March 23, 1964 – April 13, 1966 Succeeded by John Hugh Crimmins Preceded by George W. Anderson, Jr. U.S. Ambassador to Portugal July 20, 1966 – July 21, 1969 Succeeded by Ridgway B. Knight Preceded by Robert Strausz-Hupé U.S. Ambassador to NATO April 26, 1977 – March 31, 1983 Succeeded by David Manker Abshire Government offices Preceded by Powell A. Moore Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs November 17, 1983 – January 4, 1985 Succeeded by William L. Ball

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [William Tapley Bennett Jr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tapley_Bennett_Jr.) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tapley_Bennett_Jr.?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.