Background
Jorden, William John was born on May 3, 1923 in Bridger, Montana, United States. Son of Hugh G. and Jane Ann (Temple) Jorden.
( The Panama Canal Treaties of 1977 were the most signifi...)
The Panama Canal Treaties of 1977 were the most significant foreign policy achievement of the Carter administration. Most Latin American nations had regarded the 1903 treaty and its later minor modifications as vestiges of "American colonialism" and obstacles to any long-term, stable relationship with the United States. Hence, at a time when conflicts were mushrooming in Central America, the significance of the new Panama treaties cannot be overestimated. Former Ambassador to Panama William J. Jorden has provided the definitive account of the long and often contentious negotiations that produced those treaties. It is a vividly written reconstruction of the complicated process that began in 1964 and ended with ratification of the new pacts in 1978. Based on his personal involvement behind the scenes in the White House (1972–1974) and in the United States Embassy in Panama (1974–1978), Jorden has produced a unique living history. Access to documents and the personalities of both governments and, equally important, Jorden's personal recollections of participants on both sides make this historical study an incomparable document of U. S. foreign relations. Beyond the singular story of the treaties themselves—and how diplomats negotiate in the modern world—is the rare description of how the United States deals with a major foreign policy problem. How does a superpower cope with a tiny nation that happens to occupy a strategically critical position? And how does the U. S. Senate face up to its constitutionally assigned power to "advise and consent"? Once treaties are approved, does the House of Representatives help or hinder? Panama Odyssey also deals with another crucial element in the shaping of policy—public opinion: how is it informed or led astray? In sum, this is a history, a handbook on diplomacy, a course in government, and a revelation of foreign policy in action, all based on a fascinating and controversial episode in the U. S. experience.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0292764693/?tag=2022091-20
Jorden, William John was born on May 3, 1923 in Bridger, Montana, United States. Son of Hugh G. and Jane Ann (Temple) Jorden.
Jorden studied at Yale University, receiving a bachelor"s degree in international relations in 1947.
His university studies were punctuated by service in the Army during World World War II, during which he learned Japanese at Yale and the University of Michigan. He received a master"s degree in journalism from Columbia University in 1948. On completion of his studies, he worked for the New York Herald Tribune, the Associated Press and, from 1952, The New York Times.
He covered the Far East for the early part of his journalism career, including assignments in Japan and of Korea.
Later, he was Moscow bureau chief for The Times. In 1961, two years after returning to Washington, he left The Times to join the State Department.
By the mid-1960s, he was involved in the State Department"s Vietnam policy. After a series of diplomatic and national security positions (as well as taking time from government to assist president Lyndon B Johnson with his memoirs), he was appointed by president Richard M Nixon to the position of ambassador to Panama in 1974, where he played an instrumental role in negotiating the Torrijos-Carter Treaties that returned ownership of the Panama Canal to Panama.
As outgoing ambassador in 1978, he was sent to garner regional support for mediation regarding the Nicaraguan political crisis of the Somoza regime, successfully convincing Somoza to accept mediation.
After government service, Jorden served as scholar in residence at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library. In 1984, he published "Panama Odyssey", a comprehensive study of the Panama Canal Treaty negotiations, to wide critical acclaim. He was consulted as an expert commentator by several news organizations prior to and following the United States invasion of Panama.
( The Panama Canal Treaties of 1977 were the most signifi...)
Served with Army of the United States, 1943-1945. Member Council Foreign Relations, Academy Political Science, Author's Guild. Clubs: Yale of Washington, Foreign Corrs.
Japan (president 1952-1953).
Married Eleanor Harz, 1944 (divorced). Children: William Temple, Eleanor Harz, Marion Telva. Married V. Mildred Xiarhos, 1972.