Remembering Advisory Trustee Ambassador Frank G. Wisner

Advisory Trustee Ambassador Frank G. Wisner, who served AUC for almost three decades, has passed away.

Wisner joined AUC’s Board of Trustees in 1997 when he retired from the U.S. foreign service after a diplomatic career spanning 40 years under the leadership of eight U.S. presidents. With a strong belief in the impact of education, Wisner generously supported the University in many ways. He contributed to the AUC Centennial Endowed Scholarship Fund, AUC Fund, Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA@AUC) Endowed Fellowship and Nadia Younes Endowed Scholarship. He supported the benefit dinners held in New York, and named a research center and tree on the New Cairo campus. From 1991 to 2011, the annual Frank G. Wisner Award for Scholarly Excellence recognized the best graduate thesis on a topic related to modern Egypt. The award was endowed by Wisner’s friends and colleagues as a farewell gift when he left Egypt after serving as ambassador for five years.

Wisner was a prominent figure in U.S. foreign policy. He acquired the rank of career ambassador, the highest position in the U.S. Senior Foreign Service “in recognition of especially distinguished service over a sustained period,” as stipulated by the U.S. Department of State. 

“In the history of American diplomacy, Frank deserves his own chapter, and he brought to his AUC board service a unique skill set from his extraordinary career,” said Richard Bartlett, AUC trustee and chair emeritus of AUC’s Board of Trustees. “An old-style diplomat, Frank had a deep understanding and compassion for Egypt and an abiding belief in the benefits that an American-style education could offer. His access to the halls of power in both Cairo and Washington made his advice invaluable. And his skills as a colorful raconteur both charmed and disarmed those fortunate enough to enjoy private time with him.” 

A New York native and graduate of Princeton University, where he studied Arabic, Wisner was U.S. ambassador to Zambia, Egypt, the Philippines and India. In 1996, as ambassador to India, he presented Mother Teresa of Calcutta with an honorary U.S. citizenship award. 

“In the history of American diplomacy, Frank deserves his own chapter, and he brought to his AUC board service a unique skill set from his extraordinary career."

“He relished jokes and could tell them in several languages that included Arabic; but when he addressed the AUC board, he spoke in complete paragraphs with an eloquence that conveyed comprehension and gravitas,” said Bartlett. 

Wisner held various roles in the U.S. government, including undersecretary of defense for policy, undersecretary of state for international security affairs, senior deputy assistant secretary for African affairs and deputy executive secretary of the Department of State. He was a respected adviser and expert on global affairs, managing intricate international issues, including Cold War diplomacy, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Arab Spring, apartheid in South Africa, regional conflicts in the Balkans, transition in post-independence Algeria, in addition to settling almost 1 million refugees in Indochina and negotiating Kosovo’s independence. 

“Frank was one of the ‘legends’ of the Foreign Service — accomplished, talented, energetic, warm."

In acknowledgment of his distinguished contributions and achievements, Wisner received several prestigious awards. These include the inaugural Bridgebuilder Award in 2023 from the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington for his “illustrious diplomatic career and his crucial role in founding the institute and serving as its inaugural chair of the board” as well as the Asia Society Washington D.C.’s 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Frank was one of the ‘legends’ of the Foreign Service — accomplished, talented, energetic, warm,” said Gretchen Welch (ALU ’02), AUC trustee and a retired diplomat. “He had an incredible ability to connect with people and was an amazing mentor and friend. He loved Egypt and Egyptians, and felt strongly the importance of institutions like AUC and AUB to the region.”

“I am honored to have known Frank, and I will deeply miss his wise counsel, as well as his larger-than-life persona."

Following his diplomatic career, Wisner served as a board member of EOG Resources for oil and gas services, international affairs adviser at Patton Boggs law firm and vice chairman of external affairs at the American International Group finance and insurance corporation. He was affiliated with several nonprofit boards, such as the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, The American University in Cairo, American University of Beirut, American School of Tangier, Refugees International, United Service Organizations, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Georgetown’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Princeton’s Middle Eastern Affairs Advisory Board, Partnership for a Secure America, International House, National Security Network, Ergo, the American Hospital of Paris and the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

Obituaries by friends and colleagues described Wisner as a “dedicated champion” and “the most admired American diplomat of his era,” with “expert analysis and unmatched historical perspectives.” 

Wisner is survived by his wife Judy C. Cormier, brother Ellis, six children and stepchildren, and 12 grandchildren.

“I am honored to have known Frank, and I will deeply miss his wise counsel, as well as his larger-than-life persona,” said Bartlett.