Ambassador James D. Rosenthal

Career diplomat and former US Ambassador James D. “Jim” Rosenthal passed away on June 20 at his home in San Francisco. He was 85 years old.

A native San Franciscan, he attended local elementary and middle schools, and graduated from Lowell high school in 1950. He was on the swimming and football teams, and was editor of the school newspaper.

He entered Stanford University in 1950 and graduated summa cum laude with a BA in International Relations in 1953.

Jim served two years as a Marine Corps officer. He was particularly proud of his Marine Corps service, which he claimed introduced him to the “real” world and honed his leadership skills. He participated in various Marine Corps events throughout his lifetime.

Jim joined the US Foreign Service in 1956. He spent the next 34 years representing the United States abroad, serving in 7 foreign posts and Washington, DC assignments. He studied French and Vietnamese at the Foreign Service Institute and became a noted expert on Vietnam. He served for four years as political officer at the US Embassy in Saigon, and was wounded in the March 1965 attack on the embassy. He also did a tour at the Paris Peace Talks on Vietnam from 1970-72, helping backstop Henry Kissinger’s negotiations to end the war.

His other posts included Port of Spain, Trinidad; Bangui, Central African Republic, where he was DCM (Deputy Ambassador); Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where, as DCM, he helped oversee the successful Indochina Refugee Program; and as DCM at the US Embassy in Manila, Philippines, then the largest US mission abroad and site of major US military bases.

Jim was appointed by President Reagan as US Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea in West Africa in 1983. There he witnessed the end of the communist dominated regime and its transition to a more open society and market economy.

Ambassador Rosenthal also taught at the US Military Academy at West Point, the first State Department and civilian member of the faculty. He taught comparative politics and international relations as an assistant professor. He was a 1975 graduate of the National War College in Washington.

Ambassador Rosenthal retired from the Foreign Service in 1990 and returned home to San Francisco and became Executive Director of the prestigious Commonwealth Club of California. He hosted numerous heads of state, top politicians, and other prominent personalities to this celebrated forum. He retired again in 1996, and spent much of his time leading and lecturing on tours to Southeast Asia and around the world.

Jim served locally on the boards of the Lowell Alumni Association, the World Affairs Council, and the Marines Memorial Club. He was the board president of the International Diplomacy Council as well as the University of San Francisco’s Center for Asian Studies. He was also Chairman of the Foreign Service Association of Northern California for many years.

Jim is survived by his wife of 59 years, Britta, and his three children Carolyn, Stephen and Suzanne, all of whom were born abroad. He also greatly enjoyed the company of his six grandchildren, and he delighted in getting the entire clan together for cruises and resort stays every year.

A Celebration of Life has been scheduled for July 14th at 5:00 pm at the Marines Memorial Club in San Francisco. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Marines Memorial Association (https://mmanetcom.marineclub.com/Donate).