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{{Short description|American ambassador}}
'''Edward Elliot Elson''' (born 1934 [[Norfolk, Virginia]]) is a non-career appointee who was the American Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to [[Denmark]] from 1993 until 1998.<ref name="OotH">{{cite web |title=Edward Elliot Elson |url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/elson-edward-elliot |website=Office of the Historian |accessdate=28 January 2020}}</ref> Elson was also a faculty and Board member of the [[University of Virginia]] and Chairman of the Board of the following: Bank of Gordon County; Elsonýs; Atlanta News Agency, Inc.; W.H. Smith Holdings (USA); and, The Majestic Wine Corp.<ref name="CAA">{{cite web |title=Edward E. Elson |url=https://www.americanambassadors.org/members/edward-e-elson |website=Council of American Ambassadors |accessdate=28 January 2020}}</ref>
{{infobox officeholder
| name = Edward Elliot Elson
| office = [[United States Ambassador to Denmark]]
| term_start = 1993
| term_end = 1998
| president = [[Bill Clinton]]
| predecessor = [[Richard Stone (politician)|Richard Stone]]
| successor = [[Richard Swett]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1934|03|08}}
| birth_place = [[Norfolk, Virginia]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = [[Phillips Academy]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Virginia]]<br>[[Emory University School of Law]] (JD)
| parents =
| spouse = {{marriage|Suzanne Wolf Goodman<br>|1957||reason=}}
| relations =
}}
'''Edward Elliot Elson''' (born March 8, 1934) is a non-career appointee who was the American ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to [[Denmark]] from 1993 until 1998.<ref name="OotH">{{cite web |title=Edward Elliot Elson |url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/elson-edward-elliot |website=Office of the Historian |accessdate=28 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 April 2012 |title=The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR EDWARD E. ELSON |url=https://adst.org/OH%20TOCs/Elson.Edward.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717141530/https://adst.org/OH%20TOCs/Elson.Edward.pdf |archive-date=17 July 2024 |access-date=17 July 2024 |website=Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training}}</ref>


==Early life==
⚫
When the Soviet Union fell, the long term power dynamics in the region shifted. Eight countries in Scandinavia and the Baltics formed to create the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) to help the Baltic’s transition. As Ambassador, Elson “helped to strengthen the bonds of the Nordic-Baltic region and secure American alliances in the region.”<ref name="Entrepreneur">{{cite web |title=Edward Elson: Entrepreneurial Ambassador to Denmark |url=https://adst.org/oral-history/fascinating-figures/edward-elson-entrepreneurial-ambassador-denmark/ |website=Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training |accessdate=28 January 2020}}</ref>
Elson was born in 1934 in [[Norfolk, Virginia]]. His father, Harry Elson, was a book seller and periodical distributor, including ''The Virginia Spectator''.<ref name="Nelander" />


Elson attended [[Phillips Academy]], the [[University of Virginia]], and law school at [[Emory University]]. His father was a book seller and periodical distributor. When Elson finished his education, he took over the family business. <ref name="Nelander" />
He attended [[Phillips Academy]], the [[University of Virginia]], and law school at [[Emory University]].<ref name="Nelander" />


==Career==
==Career==
Elson is said to have “pioneered retail outlets in airports and hotels”<ref name="Entrepreneur" />as well as train stations.<ref name="Nelander">{{cite news |last1=Nelander |first1=John |title=Ambassador Elson has rich treasure of political tales |url=https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/article/20110117/NEWS/301179947 |accessdate=28 January 2020 |publisher=Palm Beach Daily News |date=January 17, 2011}}</ref> His civic accomplishments include being Charter Trustee of [[Phillips Academy]], director of Hampton Investments, Rector of the University of Virginia, First Chairman of [[NPR|National Public Radio]] and Chairman of the [[Jewish Publication Society]].<ref name="Entrepreneur" />
When Elson finished his education, he took over the family business, where he is said to have "pioneered retail outlets in airports and hotels"<ref name="Entrepreneur" /> as well as train stations.<ref name="Nelander">{{cite news |last1=Nelander |first1=John |title=Ambassador Elson has rich treasure of political tales |url=https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/article/20110117/NEWS/301179947 |accessdate=28 January 2020 |work=Palm Beach Daily News |date=January 17, 2011}}</ref> He was also a faculty and board member of the [[University of Virginia]] and chairman of the Board of the following: Bank of Gordon County; Elsonýs; Atlanta News Agency, Inc.; W.H. Smith Holdings (USA); and, The Majestic Wine Corp.<ref name="CAA">{{cite web |title=Edward E. Elson |url=https://www.americanambassadors.org/members/edward-e-elson |website=Council of American Ambassadors |accessdate=28 January 2020}}</ref>

He is a Charter Trustee of [[Phillips Academy]], director of Hampton Investments, Rector of the University of Virginia, founding Chairman of [[NPR|National Public Radio]] and Chairman of the [[Jewish Publication Society]].<ref name="Entrepreneur" />

===Diplomatic career===
On November 22, 1993, Elson was appointed [[U.S. Ambassador to Denmark|Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Denmark]]. He presented his credentials on January 18, 1994.<ref name="state">{{cite web |title=Edward Elliot Elson (1934–) |url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/elson-edward-elliot |website=history.state.gov |publisher=[[U.S. Department of State|Office of the Historian, Foreign Service Institute United States Department of State]] |access-date=19 March 2024}}</ref>

⚫
When the Soviet Union fell, the long term power dynamics in the region shifted. Eight countries in Scandinavia and the Baltics formed to create the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) to help the Baltic's transition. As Ambassador, Elson "helped to strengthen the bonds of the Nordic-Baltic region and secure American alliances in the region."<ref name="Entrepreneur">{{cite web |title=Edward Elson: Entrepreneurial Ambassador to Denmark |url=https://adst.org/oral-history/fascinating-figures/edward-elson-entrepreneurial-ambassador-denmark/ |website=Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training |accessdate=28 January 2020}}</ref>

Elson left his post on June 25, 1998.<ref name="state"/>

==Personal life==
In 1957, Edward was married to Suzanne "Susie" Wolf Goodman, a daughter of Charles Francis Goodman of [[Memphis, Tennessee]].<ref name="1957Engagement"/> She attended the [[Lausanne Collegiate School|Lausanne School for Girls]] in Memphis and the [[Dana Hall School]] in [[Wellesley, Massachusetts|Wellesley]] before attending [[Randolph-Macon Women's College]] in [[Lynchburg, Virginia]].<ref name="1957Engagement">{{cite news |title=Miss Suzanne Wolf Goodman Betrothed To Edward Elson, Virginia Law Student |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1957/03/24/archives/miss-suzanne-wolf-goodman-betrothed-to-edward-elson-virginia-law.html |access-date=19 March 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 24, 1957}}</ref> Susie was a member of the board of regents for the [[University System of Georgia]], former chairwoman of the [[American Craft Council]] in New York, and served as chair of [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]]'s [[Society of the Four Arts]]. Together, they are the parents of:<ref name="Stewart2024"/>

* Charles Myer Elson, who served as a director of the [[University of Delaware#John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance|John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance]] at the [[University of Delaware]];<ref name="Stewart2024">{{cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=James B. |last2=Hirsch |first2=Lauren |title=The Billionaire Taking on Disney Just Wants Some Respect. The longtime corporate agitator feels misunderstood. Maybe his fight with Disney could change that. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/16/business/media/peltz-disney-proxy.html |access-date=19 March 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 16, 2024}}</ref> he married Aimee Fauntleroy Kemker in 1993.<ref name="1993Wedding">{{cite news |title=WEDDINGS; Aimee F. Kemker, Charles M. Elson |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/19/style/weddings-aimee-f-kemker-charles-m-elson.html |access-date=19 March 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 19, 1993}}</ref>
* Louis Goodman Elson, who co-founded Palamon Capital Partners in 1999; he married Sarah Everett Lee in 1989.
* Harry Elson, an architect who married Lisa Orange in 1998.<ref name="1998Wedding">{{cite news |title=WEDDINGS; Lisa Orange, Harry Elson |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/04/style/weddings-lisa-orange-harry-elson.html |access-date=19 March 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 4, 1998}}</ref>

The Elsons owned a two-bedroom [[pied-à-terre]] on [[Park Avenue]] near [[58th Street (Manhattan)|58th Street]] in [[New York City]].<ref name="Hall2001">{{cite news |last1=Hall |first1=Trish |title=Habitats/Park Avenue Near 58th Street; Creating a Pied-à-Terre For the Pied-à-Terre |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/20/realestate/habitats-park-avenue-near-58th-street-creating-pied-terre-for-pied-terre.html |access-date=19 March 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 20, 2001}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
<references />

{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Elson, Edward}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elson, Edward}}
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[[Category:Phillips Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Phillips Academy alumni]]
[[Category:University of Virginia alumni]]
[[Category:University of Virginia alumni]]
[[Category:Emory University alumni]]
[[Category:Emory University School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:University of Virginia faculty]]
{{improve categories}}
[[Category:American booksellers]]
[[Category:NPR]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Virginia]]

Latest revision as of 20:56, 2 December 2024

Edward Elliot Elson
United States Ambassador to Denmark
In office
1993–1998
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byRichard Stone
Succeeded byRichard Swett
Personal details
Born (1934-03-08) March 8, 1934 (age 90)
Norfolk, Virginia
Spouse
Suzanne Wolf Goodman
​
​
(after 1957)​
EducationPhillips Academy
Alma materUniversity of Virginia
Emory University School of Law (JD)

Edward Elliot Elson (born March 8, 1934) is a non-career appointee who was the American ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Denmark from 1993 until 1998.[1][2]

Early life

[edit]

Elson was born in 1934 in Norfolk, Virginia. His father, Harry Elson, was a book seller and periodical distributor, including The Virginia Spectator.[3]

He attended Phillips Academy, the University of Virginia, and law school at Emory University.[3]

Career

[edit]

When Elson finished his education, he took over the family business, where he is said to have "pioneered retail outlets in airports and hotels"[4] as well as train stations.[3] He was also a faculty and board member of the University of Virginia and chairman of the Board of the following: Bank of Gordon County; Elsonýs; Atlanta News Agency, Inc.; W.H. Smith Holdings (USA); and, The Majestic Wine Corp.[5]

He is a Charter Trustee of Phillips Academy, director of Hampton Investments, Rector of the University of Virginia, founding Chairman of National Public Radio and Chairman of the Jewish Publication Society.[4]

Diplomatic career

[edit]

On November 22, 1993, Elson was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Denmark. He presented his credentials on January 18, 1994.[6]

When the Soviet Union fell, the long term power dynamics in the region shifted. Eight countries in Scandinavia and the Baltics formed to create the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) to help the Baltic's transition. As Ambassador, Elson "helped to strengthen the bonds of the Nordic-Baltic region and secure American alliances in the region."[4]

Elson left his post on June 25, 1998.[6]

Personal life

[edit]

In 1957, Edward was married to Suzanne "Susie" Wolf Goodman, a daughter of Charles Francis Goodman of Memphis, Tennessee.[7] She attended the Lausanne School for Girls in Memphis and the Dana Hall School in Wellesley before attending Randolph-Macon Women's College in Lynchburg, Virginia.[7] Susie was a member of the board of regents for the University System of Georgia, former chairwoman of the American Craft Council in New York, and served as chair of Palm Beach's Society of the Four Arts. Together, they are the parents of:[8]

The Elsons owned a two-bedroom pied-à-terre on Park Avenue near 58th Street in New York City.[11]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Edward Elliot Elson". Office of the Historian. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  2. ^ "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR EDWARD E. ELSON" (PDF). Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. 18 April 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Nelander, John (January 17, 2011). "Ambassador Elson has rich treasure of political tales". Palm Beach Daily News. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  4. ^ a b c "Edward Elson: Entrepreneurial Ambassador to Denmark". Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Edward E. Elson". Council of American Ambassadors. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Edward Elliot Elson (1934–)". history.state.gov. Office of the Historian, Foreign Service Institute United States Department of State. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Miss Suzanne Wolf Goodman Betrothed To Edward Elson, Virginia Law Student". The New York Times. March 24, 1957. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  8. ^ a b Stewart, James B.; Hirsch, Lauren (March 16, 2024). "The Billionaire Taking on Disney Just Wants Some Respect. The longtime corporate agitator feels misunderstood. Maybe his fight with Disney could change that". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  9. ^ "WEDDINGS; Aimee F. Kemker, Charles M. Elson". The New York Times. December 19, 1993. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  10. ^ "WEDDINGS; Lisa Orange, Harry Elson". The New York Times. October 4, 1998. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  11. ^ Hall, Trish (May 20, 2001). "Habitats/Park Avenue Near 58th Street; Creating a Pied-à-Terre For the Pied-à-Terre". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
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