Dean, John Gunther

John Gunther Dean was born February 24, 1926 in Breslau, Germany. His family emigrated to the United States in 1939, and he became a naturalized citizen in 1944. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a B.S. in 1947; received a Doctor's Certificate in Law from the University of Paris in 1949; and an M.A. in International Relations from Harvard University in 1950. In 1950 Dean entered government service as an economic analyst with the Economic Cooperation Administration (ECA) in Paris, France. From 1951 to 1952 he was an industrial analyst at the American Embassy in Brussels, and from 1953 to 1956 he was an assistant economic commissioner with the International Cooperation Administration in Saigon. He began working for the State Department in 1956, serving in the following positions: political officer at the American Embassy in Laos, 1956 to 1958; opened the first American consulate in Lomé, Togo, where he briefly stayed on as diplomatic adviser to the first President of Togo, 1959 to 1960; opened the first U.S. diplomatic establishment in Bamako, Mali and served as Chargé d'Affaires, 1960 to 1961; officer in charge of Mali-Togo affairs at the State Department in Washington, 1961 to 1965; and political officer at the American Embassy in Paris, 1965 to 1969. Dean was a fellow at the Harvard Center for International Affairs in Cambridge, Massachusetts from 1969 to 1970, and from 1970 to 1972 he was detailed as Deputy for CORDS (Civilian Organization for Reconstruction and Development) to the U.S. Commander of the 24th Corps with headquarters in Danang, Vietnam. He served as the Deputy Chief of Mission and later Chargé d'Affaires in Vientiane, Laos from 1972 to 1974; U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia from 1974 to 1975; U.S. Ambassador to Denmark from 1975 to 1978; U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon from 1978 to 1981; U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand from 1981 to 1985; and U.S. Ambassador to India from 1985 to 1988. He retired from the Foreign Service in 1989.

Dean earned his Harvard AB in 1946 (1947) and his AM in 1951.