Thomas J. Dodd Jr.

Thomas J. Dodd Jr. (born 1935)^[1] is the former United States Ambassador to Uruguay (1993–1997) and to Costa Rica (1997–2001). Previously, he taught Latin American History and Diplomacy at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he is now associate professor emeritus.^[2] He is on the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation.^[3][4]

Dodd's books include the edited papers of the Colombian diplomat Tomás Herrán, and a biography of the Honduran leader Tiburcio Carias.

Background

He gained an affinity for speaking Spanish as a teenager while going down to the docks in his hometown in Connecticut where the Spanish speaking immigrants who worked as fisherman would sell him cheaply all the clams and beer he wanted. He obtained his B.S.F.S, from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1957. He went on to earn his M.A. and Ph.D. from George Washington University, where he was also formerly an adjunct professor.^[4] He was a Second Lieutenant at Ft. Holabird in Baltimore from 1958 to 1959. From 1960 to 1961, he was a Captain in the US Army, Military Intelligence Detachment with the 49th Armored Division. He was awarded the US Army Commendation Medal in 1961.^[5]

He is the son of the late former U.S. Senator Thomas J. Dodd and brother of former U.S. Senator Chris Dodd.

Books

• Tiburcio Carias: Portrait of a Honduran Political Leader, Louisiana State University Press, 2005.
• Managing Democracy in Central America: United States Election Supervision in Nicaragua, 1927-1933, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1992
• The Letters of Tomás Herrán and the Panama Crisis, 1900-1903.

References

• Appearances on C-SPAN