W. Stuart Symington (diplomat)
{{Short description|American diplomat}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = W. Stuart Symington
| image = Ambassador Stuart Symington.jpg
| office = United States Ambassador to Nigeria
| president = Barack Obama
Donald Trump
| term_start = December 1, 2016
| term_end = August 30, 2019
| predecessor = James F. Entwistle
| successor = Mary Beth Leonard
| office1 = Deputy Assistant Secretary and United States Special Representative for the Central African Republic
| president1 = Barack Obama
| term_start1 = April 21, 2014
| term_end1 = September 2016
| predecessor1 = Position established
| successor1 = vacant
| office2 = United States Ambassador to Rwanda
| president2 = George W. Bush
Barack Obama
| term_start2 = November 3, 2008
| term_end2 = July 5, 2011
| predecessor2 = Michael R. Arietti
| successor2 = Donald Koran
| office3 = United States Ambassador to Djibouti
| president3 = George W. Bush
| term_start3 = September 18, 2006
| term_end3 = May 31, 2008
| predecessor3 = Marguerita Ragsdale
| successor3 = James C. Swan
| birth_name = {{nowrap|William Stuart Symington IV}}
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1952}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party =
| spouse = Susan Ide
| alma_mater = Brown University
Columbia Law School
}}
William Stuart Symington IV (born 1952){{Cite web |url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/symington-w-stuart |title=W. Stuart Symington V - People - Department History - Office of the Historian |website=history.state.gov |access-date=2019-09-09 |archive-date=2020-06-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603191420/https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/symington-w-stuart |url-status=live }} is a career diplomat for the United States. He served as the United States Special Envoy for South Sudan from January 2020 to February 2021. Previously, he served as ambassador to Djibouti, Nigeria, and Rwanda, among other posts.{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/227407.htm|title=Symington, W. Stuart|website=State.gov|date=2005-01-30|accessdate=2016-05-12|archive-date=2017-10-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002183238/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/227407.htm|url-status=live}}
Biography
Symington graduated from John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri, in 1970.{{Cite web |title=U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria: Who Is Stuart Symington? |url=http://www.allgov.com/news?news=859611 |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=AllGov |archive-date=2023-11-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107024214/http://www.allgov.com/news?news=859611 |url-status=live }} He received a B.A. from Brown University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Ambassador W. Stuart Symington |url=https://ng.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/our-ambassador/ |access-date=August 6, 2019 |website=State Department |language=en |archive-date=August 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806193332/https://ng.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/our-ambassador/ |url-status=live }}
He practiced law in Missouri, New York, London, and Paris.
Symington joined the U.S. State Department and served in Ecuador, Mexico, Spain, and Honduras and as a Pearson Fellow in the office of U.S. Congressman Ike Skelton.
His next postings were as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires in Niger (2001-03), Deputy Director of the State Department's Office of West African Affairs (2003-05), and Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq (2004-05). He then served as the United States Department of State's representative at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, from 2005 to 2006.
Symington received his first appointment as ambassador in 2006, to Djibouti, where he served until 2008. He then served as ambassador to Rwanda from 2008 to 2011.
His next posts were Political Advisor to the Commander of NORAD/U.S. Northern Command (2011–14), U.S. Special Representative for the Central African Republic (2014-16), and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Africa and African Security Affairs (2015-16).
Symington served again as U.S. ambassador, to the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 2016 to 2019.{{Cite web |title=Ambassador W. Stuart Symington U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria |url=https://nigeria.usembassy.gov/biography.html |access-date=2016-11-17 |archive-date=2016-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117210924/https://nigeria.usembassy.gov/biography.html |url-status=live }} From January 2020 to February 2021, he served as U.S. Special Envoy for South Sudan.
He and his spouse Susan Ide Symington have been married for 40 years. A member of the Symington family, he is the grandson of Senator Stuart Symington.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Commons category}}
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{{s-bef|before=Michael Arietti}}
{{s-ttl|title=United States Ambassador to Djibouti|years=2006–2008}}
{{s-aft|after=Donald Koran}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=Marguerita Ragsdale}}
{{s-ttl|title=United States Ambassador to Rwanda|years=2008–2011}}
{{s-aft|after=James Swan}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=James F. Entwistle}}
{{s-ttl|title=United States Ambassador to Nigeria|years=2016–2019}}
{{s-aft|after=Mary Beth Leonard}}
|-
{{s-new|office}}
{{s-ttl|title=United States Special Representative for the Central African Republic|years=2014–2016}}
{{s-vac}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Symington, W. Stuart}}
Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Djibouti
Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Nigeria
Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Rwanda
Category:Brown University alumni
Category:Columbia Law School alumni
Category:United States special envoys
Category:United States Foreign Service personnel
Category:21st-century American diplomats
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