TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
The Honorable Edward J. Perkins 1928–2020 U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, 43 rd Laurel Wreath Laureate, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps
By Aaron Williams
D iplomat, author, and educator, Ambassador Edward Joseph Perkins (Alexandria-Fairfax (VA) AL 1978), the 43 rd Laurel Wreath Laureate, entered the Chapter Invisible on November 7, 2020, at age 92. Former National Security Advisor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan E. Rice posted on her Twitter account, “We just lost a giant of diplo- macy, Edward J. Perkins…Pioneer among African Americans, champion of a diverse foreign service; he will be solely missed.” Fluent in French, Thai and Japanese, Brother Perkins spent his entire profes- sional career in international diplomacy, including serving three U.S. presidents as an ambassador and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. He was the first African American ambassador to the Republic of South Africa. In addition to Perkins, Jesse D. Locker (Cincinnati (OH) Alumni 1945), John A. Burroughs (Gamma 1956), Richard L. Jones (Tau 1923), and Carl B. Stokes (Alpha Omega
1950) were fraternity members who were U.S. ambassadors. Brother Perkins earned a reputation for advancing the career opportunities in diplomacy for minorities. Barbara K. Bodine of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy said about Ambassador Perkins, “Ambassador Perkins was, quite simply, a towering figure of American diplomacy. He was a gracious strength and a defender of the best of American diplomacy and young, aspiring diplomats. He will always be honored, and deeply missed.” The son of Edward Sr. and Tiny Estella Noble Holmes, Perkins was born on June 8, 1928, in Sterlington, LA, a small town outside Monroe. At 14, he moved to Pine Bluff, AR, and later moved to Port- land, OR. After a couple of years at the University of Oregon, Perkins enlisted in the U.S. Army, followed by service in the U.S. Marine Corps. While in the military in Asia, he decided upon a career in foreign service. He earned an honor- able discharge in 1962 but remained in Japan. Perkins earned in 1967 a B.A. degree from the University of Maryland
while living in Taipei, Taiwan. He sub- sequently earned an M.P.A. degree and a Doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Southern California in 1972 and 1978. Perkins began his professional career, in 1962, as a civilian employee of the U.S. Army in Okinawa. In 1967, he moved to Bangkok, Thailand, as an Assistant General Services Officer. Between 1968 and 1978, Perkins held various positions within the Foreign Services Agency of the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, Thailand, and Southeast Asia. In 1978, he moved to the American embassy at Monrovia. He returned to the United States as Director of French Language Training in the Office of West African Affairs within the U.S. Department of State. In 1985, U.S. President Ronald Rea- gan appointed him Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia. The following year, President Reagan appointed Perkins as Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa. Perkins’ tenure in South Africa
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