Ralph Earle (ambassador)

Ralph Earle II (September 26, 1928 - January 13, 2020) was an American diplomat and arms control negotiator. He was a key architect of several major international arms control accords. He served as the United States' chief negotiator at the SALT II round of talks on nuclear disarmament from 1978 to 1979, as director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) between 1980 and 1981 and as deputy director at the ACDA from 1994 to 1999.

For other people with the same name, see Ralph Earle (disambiguation).
Ralph Earle II
Born(1928-09-26)September 26, 1928
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJanuary 13, 2020(2020-01-13) (aged 91)
Resting placeArlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, U.S.
Occupation(s)Lawyer, diplomat, arms control negotiator
RelativesGeorge H. Earle III (father)

Early life and education

Earle was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, on September 26, 1928. He was the son of the former Governor of Pennsylvania, George H. Earle III and Huberta Potter Earle Sheaffer. He attended Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania and graduated from Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts[1] in 1946.[2] He graduated with a Bachlors degree in history from Harvard College in 1950[3] and Harvard Law School and served in the United States Army during the Korean War.[1] Earle is a member of the influential Van Leer family. His paternal second great-grandfather was American Revolutionary War captain Samuel Van Leer.[4]

Career

Following law school and a clerkship with Federal Judge Bailey Aldrich, he worked for the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and became a partner.[5]

In 1968, he was appointed to be Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and was a protege of Paul Nitze.[6] Earle served as the Defense Advisor to the US Mission to NATO from 1969 to 1972.[3] He joined the U.S.-Soviet SALT II negotiations as an alternate to chief negotiator Paul Warnke. Soviet diplomat Vladimir Semyonov was initially frustrated to meet often with the second in command negotiator, but their relationship strengthened through a mutual appreciation of classical music and shared experiences of both having teenage daughters.[7]

In 1978, after the resignation of Warnke, Earle was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as the United States' chief negotiator at the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II) with the Soviets and given the rank of Ambassador. He served as Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) from 1980 to 1981.[8] Earle received the Distinguished Honor Award from the ACDA for his role in the SALT II negotiations.[9] He re-joined ACDA from 1994 to 1999 as its deputy director.[3]

He was an active member of the Lawyers' Alliance for World Security (LAWS) and served on the Arms Control Association Board of Directors from 1987 to 1994.[7]

He was a member of the American Law Institute, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. In 2009, Ambassador Earle was awarded Deerfield Academy's Heritage Award[10]—which recognizes "an alumnus/a whose professional and personal achievements represent a special contribution to the betterment of society."[11]

Personal life

Earle was married first to Eleanor Forbes Owens Earle and then to Julie von Sternberg Earle. He had five children: Eleanor Earle Mascheroni, Ralph Earle III, Duncan Owens Earle, Amanda Earle Ciccarelli, and Caroline Earle Walsh.[3]

He died on January 13, 2020, from complications due to Parkinson's disease[1] and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery on August 25, 2021.[12]

Bibliography

References
  1. Cook, Bonnie L. "Ralph Earle 2nd, a Philadelphia lawyer and lead negotiator in the SALT II arms control talks, dies at 91". www.inquirer.com. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  2. "Ralph Earle II". www.deerfield.edu. Deerfield Academy. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  3. Langer, Emily. "Ralph Earle II, arms control expert and SALT II negotiator, dies at 91". The Washington Post. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  4. "WILLIAM VAN LEER GENERATION 9.3 – THIRD CHILD OF SAMUEL VANLEER". www.vanleerarchives.org. Van Leer Archives. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  5. McLellan, Emily. "How Morgan Lewis Grew Into a Powerhouse on Its Own Terms". www.law.com. ALM Global. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  6. Strong, Robert A. (2000). Working in the World - Jimmy Carter and the Making of American Foreign Policy. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. p. 40. ISBN 0-8071-2445-1. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  7. Webb, Greg. "Ralph Earle II (1928-2020), Pursuing Arms Control to Strengthen Security". www.armscontrol.org. Arms Control Association. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  8. "Directors of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency". www.history.state.gov. United States Department of State. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  9. Matthews, Francis J. (January 1980). Department of State Newsletter. Washington, D.C.: Department of State. p. 78. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  10. ""2009 Heritage Award: Ralph Earle '46."". Archived from the original on 2015-04-19. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  11. "Deerfield Academy Visions and Initiative page". Archived from the original on 2014-12-20. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  12. "Army Cemeteries Explorer". www.ancexplorer.army.mil. U.S. Army. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
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