Office of the Historian

List of Persons

The identification of persons in this list is generally limited to circumstances and positions under reference in this volume. All titles and positions are American unless otherwise indicated. Where no dates are given, the individual usually held the position throughout the period covered by the volume.

  • Addis, John M., British Ambassador to Laos
  • Alphand, Hervé, French Ambassador to the United States
  • Anderson, Daniel V., Director, Office of Southeast Asian Affairs, Department of State, until December 1961
  • Askew, Laurin B., Officer in Charge of Cambodian Affairs, Department of State, until May 1961; thereafter First Secretary, Embassy in Bangkok
  • Bagley, Lieutenant Commander Worth H., USN, Naval Aide to the President’s Military Representative, General Maxwell D. Taylor, after July 1961
  • Battle, Lucius D., Executive Secretary of the Department of State, March 16, 1961–May 2, 1962
  • Bissell, Richard M., Deputy Director, Plans, Central Intelligence Agency, until February 17, 1962
  • Bohlen, Charles E., Special Assistant to Secretary of State Herter until January 20, 1961; Ambassador to France after September 4, 1962
  • Boun Oum, Prince, Prime Minister of the Royal Lao Government (as recognized by the United States) until June 23, 1962
  • Bowles, Chester E., Under Secretary of State, January 25–December 3, 1961; President’s Special Representative to and Adviser on African, Asian, and Latin American Affairs and Ambassador at Large until July 19, 1963; thereafter Ambassador to India
  • Brown, Winthrop G., Ambassador to Laos until June 28, 1962
  • Brubeck, William H., Executive Secretary of the Department of State, May 14, 1962–July 20, 1963
  • Bundy, McGeorge, President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs after January 20, 1961
  • Bundy, William P., Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs until November 29, 1963; thereafter Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
  • Burke, Admiral Arleigh A., USN, Chief of Naval Operations until August 1, 1961
  • Cabell, General Charles P., USAF, Deputy Director of Central Intelligence until January 31, 1962
  • Caccia, Sir Harold, British Ambassador to the United States until September 28, 1961
  • Chapman, Christian G., Officer in Charge of Laos Affairs, Department of State, until September 3, 1961
  • Carter, Lieutenant General Marshall S., USA, Deputy Director of Central Intelligence after April 3, 1962
  • Chen Yi, Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China and delegate to the Geneva Conference on Laos
  • Cleveland, Harlan, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs after February 23, 1961
  • Clifton, Major General Chester V., USA, President’s Military Aide
  • Cooper, Chester L., Deputy Assistant Director for National Estimates until September 17, 1962; Assistant for Policy Support to the Deputy Director for Intelligence until November 21, 1963; thereafter Assistant Deputy Director for Policy Support, Directorate of Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency
  • Cottrell, Sterling J., Political Adviser to CINCPAC until April 1961; Director of the Interdepartmental Task Force on Vietnam until June 1962; thereafter Deputy Director and Chairman of the Task Force on Southeast Asia
  • Couve de Murville, Maurice, French Foreign Minister
  • Creel, Robert C., Counselor and Consul General, Embassy in Vientiane, after May 19, 1961
  • Cross, Charles T., Officer in Charge of Laos Affairs, Department of State, September 3, 1961–August 4, 1963
  • Cumming, Hugh S., Jr., Director, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, until February 19, 1961
  • Czyzak, John J., Assistant Legal Adviser for the Far East
  • Decker, General George H., USA, Chief of Staff of the Army until September 30, 1962
  • De Gaulle, Charles, President of France
  • Diem, see Ngo Dinh Diem
  • Dobrynin, Anatoly F., Chief, American Countries Division, Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs until March 1962; Soviet Ambassador to the United States after March 30, 1962
  • Dulles, Allen W., Director of Central Intelligence until November 29, 1961
  • Dungan, Ralph A., Special Assistant to the President
  • Eisenhower, Dwight D, President of the United States until January 1961
  • Falaize, Pierre-Louis, French Ambassador to Laos
  • Felt, Admiral Harry D., USN, Commander in Chief, Pacific
  • FitzGerald, Desmond, Directorate of Plans, Central Intelligence Agency
  • Fontana, Brigadier General Paul, USA, Deputy Director for Operations, The Joint Staff, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • Galbraith, J. Kenneth, Ambassador to India, March 29, 1961–July 12, 1963
  • Garvin, James M., Ambassador to France, February 22, 1961–September 26, 1962
  • Gilpatric, Roswell L., Deputy Secretary of Defense after January 24, 1961
  • Goodpaster, Brigadier General Andrew J., Staff Secretary to President Eisenhower until January 20, 1961
  • Gromyko, Andrei A., Soviet Foreign Minister
  • Hansen, Kenneth R., Assistant Director, Bureau of the Budget
  • Harriman, W. Averell, Ambassador at Large, February 13–November 29, 1961; Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, November 29, 1961–April 4, 1963; thereafter Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
  • Hasey, John F., Agency for International Development Mission in Vientiane
  • Helms, Richard, Deputy to the Deputy Director, Plans, Central Intelligence Agency, until February 2, 1962; thereafter Deputy Director, Plans
  • Herter, Christian A., Secretary of State until January 20, 1961
  • Hilsman, Roger, Director, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State, February 19, 1961–April 25, 1963; thereafter Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs
  • Home, Alexander Frederick Douglas, British Foreign Secretary until October 20, 1963; thereafter British Prime Minister
  • Hood, Viscount, Minister, British Embassy in the United States until November 1962
  • Hughes, Thomas L., Deputy Director, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State, May 14, 1961–April 28, 1963; thereafter Director
  • Humphrey, Herbert H., Democratic Senator from Minnesota
  • Janow, Seymour J., Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Far East, Agency for International Development
  • Johnson, Lyndon B., Vice President of the United States until November 22, 1963; thereafter President
  • Johnson, Robert H., member of the National Security Council Staff until February 18, 1962; member of the Policy Planning Council, Department of State, after August 18, 1963
  • Johnson, U. Alexis, Ambassador to Thailand until April 10, 1961; Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs after April 27, 1961
  • Jorgenson, Gorden L., First Secretary and Political Officer, Embassy in Vientiane
  • Kaysen, Carl, member of the National Security Council Staff until December 4, 1961; thereafter President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs
  • Kennan, George F., Ambassador to Yugoslavia, May 16, 1961–July 28, 1963
  • Kennedy, John F., President of the United States, January 20, 1961–November 22, 1963
  • Kennedy, Robert F., Attorney General after January 20, 1961
  • Khampan, Prince Tiao, Royal Lao Government Ambassador to the United States after October 17, 1961
  • Khrushchev, Nikita S., Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union
  • Kohler, Foy D., Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs until August 19, 1962
  • Kong Le, Captain, Lao National Army, Commander of the Second Paratroop Battalion and leader of the neutralist military forces
  • Komer, Robert W., member of the National Security Council Staff
  • Koren, Henry L.T., Director, Office of Southeast Asian Affairs, Department of State, after December 26, 1961
  • Lansdale, Brigadier General (later Major General) Edward G., USAF, Deputy Assistant for Special Operations to the Secretary of Defense until May 1961; thereafter Assistant for Special Operations to the Secretary of Defense
  • Leum Insisiengmay, Royal Lao Government delegate to the Geneva Conference; Minister of Education, Fine Arts, Sports, and Youth after June 23, 1962
  • Lall, Arthur, Indian delegate to the Geneva Conference
  • LeMay, General Curtis E., USAF, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force after June 30, 1961
  • Lemnitzer, General Lyman L., USA, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff until September 31, 1962
  • Macmillan, Harold, British Prime Minister until October 20, 1963
  • Mansfield, Michael J., Democratic Senator from Montana, majority leader of the Senate from January 3, 1961
  • McConaughy, Walter P., Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, April 24–December 3, 1961
  • McCone, John A., Director of Central Intelligence after November 29, 1961
  • McCrea, Colonel W. S., USA, Assistant to the Director, Far Eastern Region, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
  • McGhee, George C., Chairman of the Policy Planning Council, Department of State, after February 13, 1961; Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs after November 29, 1961; Ambassador to Germany after April 25, 1963
  • McNamara, Robert S., Secretary of Defense from January 21, 1961
  • Menshikov, Mikhail A., Soviet Ambassador to the United States until March 1962
  • Menzies, Sir Robert Gordon, Australian Minister for External Affairs, 1961
  • Merchant, Livingston T., Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs until January 31, 1961
  • Murrow, Edward R., Director, U.S. Information Agency
  • Nehru, Jawaharlal, Indian Prime Minister and Minister for External and Commonwealth Affairs
  • Nitze, Paul H., Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, January 29, 1961–November 29, 1963
  • Ngo Dinh Diem, President of the Republic of Vietnam until November 1, 1963
  • Nolting, Frederick E., Jr., Ambassador to the Republic of Vietnam, May 10, 1961–August 15, 1963
  • Ormsby Gore, Sir David, British Ambassador to the United States after October 26, 1961
  • Ouane Ratrikoun, Brigadier General, Lao National Army, Chief of Staff of the Lao Armed Forces
  • Parsons, J. Graham, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs until March 30, 1961
  • Peterson, Avery F., Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Economic Affairs until February 1963
  • Phoui Sananikone, Chairman of the Royal Lao Government Delegation to the Geneva Conference
  • Phoumi Nosavan, General, Lao National Army, Defense Minister in Royal Lao Government as recognized by the United States and de facto leader of the government until June 23, 1962; thereafter Vice Premier and Minister of Finance
  • Phoumi Vongvichit, Pathet Lao delegate to the Geneva Conference; after June 23, 1962, Minister of Information and Tourism
  • Pushkin, Georgi M., Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister for Southeast Asian Affairs and Soviet delegate to the Geneva Conference
  • Queneau, Francois G., Office of Southeast Asian Affairs, Department of State, after September 3, 1961
  • Quinim Pholsena, Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs, June 23, 1962–April 1, 1963
  • Rice, Edward E., member of the Policy Planning Council, Department of State, until January 1, 1962; thereafter Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs
  • Roberts, Sir Frank, British Ambassador to the Soviet Union
  • Rostow, Walt W., President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs until December 14, 1961; thereafter Counselor of the Department of State and Chairman of the Policy Planning Council
  • Roux, Jacques, Joint Director, Political Affairs, French Foreign Ministry
  • Rusk, Dean, Secretary of State from January 21, 1961
  • Sarit Thanarat, Marshal, Thai Prime Minister until December 8, 1963
  • Savang Vatthana, King of Laos
  • Schlesinger, Arthur M., Jr., President’s Special Assistant
  • Shoup, General David M., USMC, Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps
  • Sihanouk, Prince Norodom, Cambodian Chief of State
  • Siho Lamphouthacoul, Chief of the Lao National Police
  • Sorensen, Theodore C., President’s Special Counsel
  • Souvanna Phouma, Prince, leader of the neutralist political forces in Laos; after June 23, 1962, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Veteran Affairs, and Social Action
  • Souphanouvong, Prince, leader of the Pathet Lao; after June 23, 1962, Vice Premier and Minister of Economy and Plan
  • Stahr, Elvis J., Jr., Secretary of the Army, January 24, 1961–June 30, 1962
  • Steeves, John M., Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs until January 7, 1962
  • Stevenson, Adlai E., Permanent Representative to the United Nations from January 21, 1961
  • Sullivan, William H., United Nations Adviser, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs, Department of State, until April 28, 1963; thereafter Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Political Affairs
  • Taylor, General Maxwell D, USA, President’s Military Representative July 1, 1961–October 1, 1962; thereafter Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • Thanat Khoman, Thai Foreign Minister
  • Thompson, Llewellyn E., Ambassador to the Soviet Union until July 27, 1962
  • Trimble, William C., Ambassador to Cambodia until June 8, 1962
  • Unger, Leonard S., Counselor, Embassy in Bangkok; Ambassador to Laos after July 3, 1962
  • Usher, Richard E., Deputy Director, Office of Southeast Asian Affairs, Department of State, until December 26, 1961; thereafter Regional Planning Adviser, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs
  • Vang Phao, leader of Meo (Hmong) guerrilla forces
  • Wallop Rochanwsisut, Lieutenant General, Royal Thai Army, Director of Joint Intelligence, Royal Thai Armed Forces
  • Wang Peng Nan (Wang Ping-nan), People’s Republic of China Ambassador to Poland and Chinese Delegate to the Geneva Conference
  • White, General, Thomas D., USAF, Chief of Staff of the Air Force until June 30, 1961
  • Young, Kenneth T., Ambassador to Thailand, March 29, 1961–August 19, 1963
  • Zuckert, Eugene M., Secretary of the Air Force after January 24, 1961