Laurence Pope

{{Short description|American diplomat (1945–2020)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| image=Everett Pope funeral.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Laurence Pope (second from right) at the burial service for Major Pope (his father), Arlington National Cemetery, September 15, 2009

| order=16th

| ambassador_from=United States

| country= Chad

| term_start= September 3, 1993

| term_end= June 26, 1996

| president= Bill Clinton

| predecessor = Richard Wayne Bogosian

| successor = David C. Halsted

| order2=

| office2= Chargé d’Affaires of United States in Libya

| country2= Libya

| term_start2 = October 11, 2012

| term_end2 = January 4, 2013

| president2 = Barack Obama

| predecessor2= J. Christopher Stevens (As Ambassador)

| successor2 = William Roebuck

|birth_name=Laurence Everett Pope II

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|9|24}}

| birth_place = New Haven, Connecticut, United States

| death_date = October 31, 2020 (aged 75)

| death_place = Portland, Maine, United States

| spouse = Elizabeth

| party =

| profession = Diplomat

| religion =

}}

Laurence Everett Pope II (September 24, 1945 – October 31, 2020) was an American diplomat.[https://books.google.com/books?id=GtIWAAAAYAAJ&q=Laurence+Everett+Pope+II+1945 United States Department of State-Announcements] He was the United States Ambassador to Chad from 1993 to 1996 and former US Chargé d’Affaires to Libya. Pope held a number of senior posts in the Department of State. He was the Director for Northern Gulf Affairs (1987–1990), Associate Director for Counter-Terrorism (1991–1993), U.S. Ambassador to Chad (1993–1996),[http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/pope.html Political Graveyard: Pope] Retrieved December 3, 2009 and Political Advisor to General Anthony Zinni USMC, Commander-in-Chief of United States Central Command (1997–2000).[http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/moynihan/PersonDetail.asp?personID=328 Laurence Pope, Retired Ambassador, United States of America] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311025515/http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/moynihan/PersonDetail.asp?personID=328 |date=March 11, 2007 }}, Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs.

In 2000, President Bill Clinton nominated him as Ambassador to Kuwait but his appointment was not confirmed by the Senate.

Ambassador Pope retired from the U.S. Foreign Service on October 2, 2000, after 31 years of service. He continued to consult with various institutions and was a respected arabist. A graduate of Bowdoin College, Pope also had advanced studies at Princeton University and is a graduate of the U.S. Department of State Senior Seminar, a Senior Fellow at the Armed Forces Staff College. He spoked Arabic and French, and resided in Portland, Maine.

Laurence Pope was the eldest son of Medal of Honor recipient Major Everett P. Pope, who was married to Eleanor Pope. He had a brother named Ralph H. Pope.{{Cite web |date=September 15, 2009 |title=090915-M-9054G-078 |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/39955793@N07/3951248642/ |access-date=December 3, 2009 |publisher=US Department of Defense Current Photos}}

On Thursday, October 11, 2012, the U.S. Department of State announced that Ambassador Pope had arrived in Tripoli as the U.S Chargé d’Affaires in Libya.[http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2267821&language=en New US Charge d{{'}}{{'}}Affairs starts his work in Libya], Kuwait News Agency.[https://news.yahoo.com/u-picks-retired-diplomat-serve-envoy-libya-165425931.html U.S. picks retired diplomat to serve as envoy in Libya], Reuters.

On January 4, 2013, the United States embassy in Tripoli announced that William Roebuck arrived in Tripoli as the new Chargé d’Affaires in Libya replacing Pope.[http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2013/01/08/New-US-charge-daffaires-lands-in-Libya/UPI-16511357657581/ New U.S. charge d'affaires lands in Libya], UPI.

Pope died at his home in Portland, Maine, from pancreatic cancer.[https://obituaries.bowdoin.edu/laurence-e-pope-ii-67/ Bowdoin Magazine-Laurence E. Pope '67]