Ortiz, Frank V., 1926-

Frank V. Ortiz was born in Santa Fe, NM on 14 March 1926. Following his graduation from high school, Mr. Ortiz served as a liaison officer in the U.S. Senate from 1943 until his enlistment in the U.S. Army Air Force in 1944.

He is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University and of the George Washington University where he obtained a Master of Science Degree. He also attended the University of Madrid, the American University of Beirut and the University of New Mexico.

After passing the Foreign Service examinations, Mr. Ortiz began service with the Department of State in January 1951. He served in Egypt, Ethiopia, Mexico, before returning to Washington D.C. in 1960 when he became Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Inter-American Affairs . In 1961-63, Mr. Ortiz was chief negotiator of the Chamizal border problem settlement, involving a land dispute with Mexico in El Paso, Texas.

Mr. Ortiz, then served in Spain, at the National War College, in Peru and Uruguay before being appointed Ambassador to Barbados and Grenada in 1977. In 1979 he became Ambassador to Guatemala and left that post in 1980 to become Political Advisor at the United States Southern Command in Panama. In 1981 Mr. Ortiz was appointed ambassador to Peru and in 1883 to Argentina.

Mr. Ortiz was married to Dolores Duke and had four children. Mr. Ortiz passed away in February 2005 in Santa Fe.

Frank V. Ortiz presents his credentials to Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia.

• 14 March 1926: Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico
• 1944: Enlisted in the Air Force
• 1951: Graduated Georgetown University School of Foreign Service; entered foreign service
• 1952: Attended American University of Beirut, Lebanon
• 1953: Served at American embassies in Ethiopia, Mexico and State Department, Washington D.C.
• 1963: Helped negotiate border dispute with Mexico (Chamizal Treaty); Country director for Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay
• 1967 - 1970 : Political counselor, American Embassy, Lima, Peru
• 1971: Counselor, American Embassy, Montevideo, Uruguay
• 1972: Chargé d'Affairs, America Embassy, Montevideo, Uruguay
• 1975: Deputy executive Secretary of State under Henry Kissinger
• 1977: U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and Grenada; special representative to St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua and St. Kitts-Nevis
• 1979: U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala
• 1980: Political advisor, U.S. Southern Command, Panama
• 1981: U.S. Ambassador to Peru
• 1983 - 1986 : U.S. Ambassador to Argentina
• 1987: Diplomat in residence, University of New Mexico
• 1989: Assigned to the State Department
• 1990: Retirement from foreign service
• 1990 - 2005 : Return to Santa Fe, New Mexico; actively involved in many civic organizations such as the New Mexico History Museum, National Dance Institute of New Mexico, Council of Foreign Relations, North American Institute, Think New Mexico!, National Hispanic Cultural Center, and Rancho de las Golondrinas
• 27 February 2005: Died at his home

From the guide to the Frank V. Ortiz Collection, 1930s-2005, (New Mexico History Museum, Fray Angélico Chávez History Library)