Walter A. Lundy was born July 5, 1933. He earned an A. B. for the University of Georgia in geography where he also served as editor of the student newspaper, the Red and Black (see historical sketch above). He served in the United States Air force from 1954-1958 as a transport navigator. He was stationed in the Philippines from 1957-1958. Following his military service he earned a Master of Arts degree in international relations from Georgetown University, graduating in 1961. Even as he was completing his work at Georgetown he entered the Foreign Service in 1960. Lundy's career stretched over thirty years with the Foreign Service. He began his work with the Service as a political officer and consular officer at the American Embassy in Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka). He held this post until 1963. Lundy then moved to a position in Saigon, Vietnam where he served from 1964-1966. He got the attention of many individuals in Washington from this post with reports that challenged the conventional wisdom vis a vis the Vietnam War. During 1966, he received Foreign Service Economic training. Following this training, Lundy was assigned for two years to the Treasury Department, Office of Under Secretary for Monetary Affairs. In 1968 he went abroad again to India to serve as Economic Officer for India, Department of State, NEA Bureau for one year. He remained in India after leaving his position with the NEA Bureau to work for the U.S. embassy as Economic/Commercial Officer, remaining in this position through 1973. In 1973 he moved to the American embassy in Teheran, Iran where he worked as a financial officer for two years. Lundy's time here coincided with the escalation of oil prices and it was evident to him that the combination of drastic economic change and political instability would lead to instability in Iran. In 1976 he returned to the United States to work in the Department of Commerce, Office of International Marketing, 1976-1977. In 1977 accepted a position as an economic and commercial officer for Republic of China Affairs, EA Bureau for the State Department. In this position Lundy was responsible for constructing new mechanisms for maintaining economic ties between the U. S. and Taiwan He held this position through 1979. For two years he served as Deputy director of the East Asia Bureau Office of Economic Policy. In 1981 he assumed the position of Economic Counselor at the American Embassy in Seoul, Korea. In this position Lundy was the most senior U.S. embassy official responsible for economic relations with Korea and oversaw expansion of bilateral trade. He remained at this post until 1984 when he became division Chief, Economic Cone, Bureau of Personnel, Department of State. Lundy worked in this position until 1986 when he moved to a position as Office Director, Economic Policy Staff at the Bureau of African Affairs. In this position Lundy oversaw a $700 million annual U.S. aid program to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 1990 he became the senior Examiner on the Board of examiners for the Department of State. He remained in this position until 1992. For the next two years Lundy served as Director of the Office of Retirement and Career Transition, Bureau of Personnel, Department of State. Lundy retired from the State Department in 1995.
From the description of Walter A. Lundy Files, Red and Black (Fall 1953) Integration Issue Papers, 12 November 1953-14 May 1954, December 1953. (University of Georgia). WorldCat record id: 422635575
