Harry K. Thomas Jr.

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Harry Keels Thomas Jr.[1] (born June 3, 1956) is an American diplomat who served as the U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Zimbabwe.

Education

Thomas is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and earned his Master's of Science in Urban Planning at Columbia University. He also has an honorary doctorate from Loyola University Maryland, where he delivered the commencement address in May 2010.[2]

Career

Thomas joined the Foreign Service in 1984. His early postings included service in the US embassies in New Delhi, India; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kaduna, Nigeria; and Lima, Peru.[2] He also served as Executive Secretary of the United States Department of State, Director General of the U.S. Foreign Service, Director of the State Department Operations Center, and Special Assistant to the then-U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.[3]

Thomas served as United States Ambassador to Bangladesh (serving from 2003 to 2005) and Director General of the United States Foreign Service (serving from 2007 to 2009), Thomas was designated by US President Barack Obama on November 19, 2009, to replace Kristie Kenney as Ambassador to the Philippines—the first African American to serve at that post.[3] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 19, 2010,[2] and presented his credentials to Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on April 27, 2010.[4] He was then nominated and confirmed as the United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe on October 22, 2015.[5] He was sworn in on December 8, 2015.[6] He returned to the United States from Zimbabwe on March 25, 2018, planning to retire from the Foreign Service.[7]

Controversy

File:President Aquino with Ambassador Thomas.jpg
Thomas (left) with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William J. Burns (middle) and President Benigno S. Aquino III (right).

In September 2011, Thomas sparked outrage – while in post as Ambassador to the Philippines – by making the remark that "40% of male tourists to the Philippines go there for sex tourism", without publicly presenting evidence for this remark.[8] He subsequently made a public apology to the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines.

Foreign languages

Thomas speaks English, Spanish, Hindi, Tagalog, and Bengali.

Awards and honours

Foreign honours

References

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External links

Diplomatic posts
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check United States Ambassador to Bangladesh
2003–2005 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Executive Secretary to the Department of State
2005–2007 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Director General of the Foreign Service
2007–2009 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check United States Ambassador to the Philippines
2010–2013 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe
2016–2018 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by

Template:US Ambassadors to the Philippines Template:US Ambassadors to Zimbabwe Script error: No such module "Authority control".

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