U4101

Distinguished American Diplomats

Clifton R. Wharton, Sr - Foreign Service Officer

Collins Cover Announcement 

Distinguished American Diplomates

Clifton R. Wharton, Sr.

This cover completes the diplomats mini-series. The stamps are attractive, and I am pleased with the way the individually hand painted cachets turned out. The American flag, banner beneath the portrait, and portrait background all match the previous five. This consistency gives the set its group identity. Clifton R. Wharton, Sr. was the first African American Foreign Service officer in the State Department. He was also the first black to rise through the ranks of the Foreign Service to become an ambassador. Wharton was born in Baltimore in 1899 and grew up in Boston. He practiced law there from 1920 until 1923 and then moved to Washington, D.C. where he became a law clerk at the State Department. After passing the qualifying exam, he became a Foreign Service officer.

His first postings were in Liberia, the Canary Islands, Spain and Madagascar. In 1948 he became consul general in Portugal, and in 1953 he assumed the same position in France. In 1958, President Eisenhower appointed him United States Minister to Romania and, as such, he became the first black to head an American delegation to a European country. In 1961 President Kennedy made him Ambassador to Norway.

Clifton R. Wharton, Sr. was the trailblazer for African Americans in the Diplomatic Services, and he was considered to be tactful, caring, and highly skilled. The watercolored cachet features a large portrait and a tribute to Romania where he served under President Eisenhower. I'm pleased to offer this cover in honor of the ambassador. Collins g U4101 — a $13.25.