Rodger Davies
World War II Army officer trained in Arabic who became one of the Department's leading Near East specialists; killed by sniper fire at the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia.
Service Record
| Born | May 7, 1921, Berkeley, California |
|---|---|
| Education | Economics, University of California, Berkeley; Arabic, Princeton University (Army Specialized Training Program) |
| Military | U.S. Army, World War II; lieutenant; Middle East |
| Director, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs | Until 1965 |
| Deputy Assistant Secretary, Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs | Until 1970 |
| U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus | May 1973 – August 19, 1974 |
| Died | August 19, 1974, Nicosia, Cyprus, age 53 |
Overview
Rodger Davies was a soldier-turned-Arabist whose career followed the Near East from the Second World War to the Cyprus crisis of 1974.
Early Life and Military Service
Born in Berkeley, California, he studied economics at the University of California before joining the Army in World War II. Through the Army Specialized Training Program he studied Arabic intensively at Princeton under the historian Philip Khuri Hitti, was commissioned a lieutenant, and was deployed to the Middle East.
Career
He joined the State Department after the war and built his career around the region he had first seen in uniform. He served as a director in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and then as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs. In May 1973 he became ambassador to Cyprus.
Sacrifice
On August 19, 1974, during an anti-American demonstration outside the embassy in Nicosia, shots were fired from a nearby building. Ambassador Davies was killed, along with Antoinette Varnavas, a Greek Cypriot embassy secretary.
Legacy
He had lost his wife, Sarah, the year before, and left behind a daughter and a son. His death is remembered as one of the clearest examples of the risks borne by American diplomats in moments of regional crisis.
Recognition
Envoys of Record honors Rodger Davies among the members of the Foreign Service who gave their lives in the service of the United States. Their names are kept here so that their service is not forgotten.