Shirley Abbott (ambassador)

Shirley Levoy "S.L." Abbott (July 23, 1924 – April 23, 2013) was an American businessman, rancher, politician, and ambassador.

Shirley Abbott
1984
Born(1924-07-23)July 23, 1924
DiedApril 23, 2013(2013-04-23) (aged 88)
Alma materPacific University
OccupationOptometrist
Political partyRepublican Party

Born in Fairview, Oklahoma, Abbott lived on a dairy farm in Minnesota with his family and then moved to El Paso, Texas. He served in the United States Army during World War II. He received his bachelor and optometrist degrees from Pacific University. He then practiced optometry in El Paso and was a rancher. He served in the Texas House of Representatives as a Republican 1977–1978.[1] Abbott had asked the Reagan administration to appoint him as United States Ambassador to Belize. Instead, the administration tried to nominate him as United States Ambassador to Guyana, but the nomination was withdrawn.[2] Finally, in 1983, Abbott was appointed United States Ambassador to Lesotho by President Ronald Reagan. Abbott died from complications of congestive heart failure in Coronado, California at age 88.[3][4][5]

Notes

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  1. ^ "Abbott". PoliticalGraveyard.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  2. ^ Farnsworth, Clyde H. (April 20, 1984). "Foreign Service; Can Just About Anyone be a Good Ambassador?". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Borunda, Daniel (April 23, 2013). "'Former US Ambassador Shirley L. Abbott Dies at 88". El Paso Times. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  4. ^ Texas Legislators:Past and Present-Shirley L. Abbott
  5. ^ "Obituary - Shirley Abbott". El Paso Times. April 27, 2013. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
Party political offices
Preceded by
John Bennett
Republican nominee for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
1970
Vacant
Title next held by
Mike Richards
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Lesotho
1984–1989
Succeeded by