Office of the Historian

Donald Read Heath (1894–1981)

Career Foreign Service Officer
State of Residence: Kansas
  1. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (Bulgaria)
    Appointed: September 30, 1947
    Presentation of Credentials: November 8, 1947
    Termination of Mission: Declared persona non grata by Government of Bulgaria January 19, 1950
    • Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on December 9, 1947, after confirmation. The Department of State announced the suspension of diplomatic relatoins with Bulgaria on February 21, 1950. Heath left post on February 24, 1950.
  2. Concurrent Appointments
    1. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (Cambodia)
      Appointed: June 29, 1950
      Presentation of Credentials: July 11, 1950
      Termination of Mission: Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary July 12, 1952
      • During Heath’s tenure as non-resident Minister, Legation Phnom Penh was opened on November 14, 1950, with Don V. Catlett as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. Also accredited to Laos and State of Vietnam; resident at Saigon.
    2. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (Laos)
      Appointed: June 29, 1950
      Presentation of Credentials: December 29, 1950
      Termination of Mission: Superseded November 1, 1954
      • During Heath’s tenure as non-resident Minister, Legation Vientiane was opened on August 22, 1950, with Paul L. Guest as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. Also accredited to Cambodia and State of Vietnam; resident at Saigon.
    3. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (State of Vietnam)
      Appointed: June 29, 1950
      Presentation of Credentials: October 22, 1950
      Termination of Mission: Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary July 11, 1952
      • Edmund A. Gullion was serving as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim when the Legation in Saigon was raised to Embassy status on June 25, 1952. Also accredited to Cambodia and Laos; resident at Saigon.
  3. Concurrent Appointments
    1. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Cambodia)
      Appointed: June 25, 1952
      Presentation of Credentials: July 12, 1952
      Termination of Mission: Superseded October 2, 1954
      • During Heath’s tenure as non-resident Minister, Legation Phnom Penh was raised to Embassy status on June 25, 1952, with Thomas J. Corcoran as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. Also accredited to State of Vietnam; resident at Saigon.
    2. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (State of Vietnam)
      Appointed: June 25, 1952
      Presentation of Credentials: July 11, 1952
      Termination of Mission: Left post on November 14, 1954
      • Also accredited to Cambodia; resident at Saigon.
  4. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Lebanon)
    Appointed: February 4, 1955
    Presentation of Credentials: March 9, 1955
    Termination of Mission: Left post on January 4, 1958
  5. Concurrent Appointments
    1. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Saudi Arabia)
      Appointed: November 27, 1957
      Presentation of Credentials: January 9, 1958
      Termination of Mission: Left post on April 18, 1961
      • Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on January 27, 1958, after confirmation. Also accredited to Yemen; resident at Jeddah.
    2. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (Yemen)
      Appointed: November 27, 1957
      • Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on January 27, 1958, after confirmation. Took oath of office, but did not present credentials in Yemen. Also accredited to Saudi Arabia; resident at Jeddah.