James Bishop (diplomat)


James Keough Bishop Jr. is an American Foreign Service Officer, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Niger, Liberia, and Somalia.
Bishop's last ambassadorial posting to Somalia ended in a rescue by the U.S. military in Operation Eastern Exit, when the embassy came under threat as a result of military action in the Somali Civil War.

Biography

Early life and education

Bishop was born July 21, 1938 in New Rochelle, New York to James Keough Bishop Sr. and Dorothy. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross and Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.

Diplomatic career

After graduating from college in 1960, Bishop entered the Foreign Service in 1960, where he held the following diplomatic positions:
Bishop retired from the Foreign Service in 1993.

Personal life

Bishop and his wife Kathleen have six children. Bishop and his first wife, Anne Richardson, have three children and two grandchildren. He is Roman Catholic.