Preceded by Llewellyn Thompson | Preceded by Selden Chapin Name H. Matthews Succeeded by Philip Young Role Diplomat | |
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Died 1986, Washington, D.C., United States | ||
Preceded by Louis G. Dreyfus, Jr. Succeeded by James W. Riddleberger Succeeded by W. Walton Butterworth | ||
Harrison Freeman Matthews (May 26, 1899 – October 19, 1986) was a career American diplomat who served as Ambassador to three European countries.
Life and career
H. Freeman "Doc" Matthews was born in Baltimore, Maryland on May 26, 1899. He served in the United States Navy during World War I, and received bachelor's (1921) and master's (1922) degrees from Princeton University. From 1922 to 1923 he studied at the Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques, in Paris, France.
Matthews became a career employee of the United States Department of State, and his assignments included secretary positions in Budapest (1924 to 1926) and Bogotá (1926 to 1929). From 1930 to 1933 he served at the State Department as Deputy Chief of the Latin American Affairs Division. In 1933, Matthews moved to a secretary position in Havana, Cuba, where he served until 1937. He occupied a similar position in Paris, France from 1937 to 1940, and was the consul there from 1938 to 1940. During 1939 he was acting Ambassador to Spain.
From 1940 to 1941 he was First Secretary in the U.S. embassy to France during the Vichy French government. From 1941 to 1943 he was counselor at the American embassy in London, England.
From 1943 to 1947, he served again at the State Department, assigned as Chief of the European Affairs Division and Director of the Office of European Affairs. Matthews was Ambassador to Sweden from 1947 to 1950. From 1950 to 1953, he served as Deputy Undersecretary of State. He was acting Secretary of State for the one day between the departure of Dean Acheson and the swearing in of John Foster Dulles.
In 1953, Matthews was appointed Ambassador to the Netherlands, and he remained in this post until 1957. He was Ambassador to Austria from 1957 until his 1962 retirement.
Matthews died in Washington, D.C. on October 19, 1986. He is buried at Friends Cemetery in Baltimore.
His son, H. Freeman Matthews, Jr. (December 31, 1927 – July 26, 2006) was also a career diplomat.