Editor’s Note: In this article, Morton A. Kaplan offers a compelling assessment of Robert Strausz-Hupé’s life and work. Strausz-Hupe’ was the founder of the Foreign Policy Research Institute and the first editor of Orbis. This article is reprinted from our Spring 1970 edition.

President John F. Kennedy began the practice of appointing academics as ambassadors. The well-known scholar Edwin O. Reischauer, was appointed Ambassador to Japan and the academic publicist, John Kenneth Galbraith, was appointed Ambassador to India. President Nixon has followed in this tradition by appointing Robert Strausz-Hupé Ambassador to Ceylon. Dr. Strausz-Hupé had carved out a career both as a noted academic and as an academic publicist. He brings distinction to his new post as he previously brought it to his positions as professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania and as founder and director of the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

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