News Brief

Remembering Ambassador William Scranton

We are saddened to announce the passing of Council member William Scranton.  Ambassador Scranton died on July 28 in Montecito, CA at the age of 96.

Ambassador Scranton was born on July 19, 1917, in Madison, Connecticut, where his family had a summer home.  He grew up in Scranton, PA, which is named for his family.  Ambassador Scranton graduated from Yale College in 1939 and from the Yale Law School in 1946 after serving four years as an Army Air Force pilot in World War II.  In 1942 he married Mary Lowe Chamberlin.

Ambassador Scranton began his career in public service in 1959 as a senior aide to Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and his successor, Secretary Christian A. Herter.  Ambassador Scranton was elected to Congress in 1960. He served one term before he was elected as Pennsylvania's 38th governor in 1962.  In 1964, he briefly ran for President.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford appointed him to be Ambassador to the United Nations. Following his time at the United Nations, Ambassador Scranton served as a member of the U.S. National Group in the Permanent Court of Arbitration from 1977-1984 and was a member of several Presidential Commissions.

Ambassador Scranton served as a Director of Cummins Engine, IBM, Mobil, The New York Times Co., H.J. Heinz and the New York Life Insurance Company. He received 37 honorary degrees from American universities and has served higher education as a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh and Yale University.

Ambassador Scranton is survived by his wife, his daughter, Susan Scranton Dawson, and three sons, William, Joseph and Peter.  He is also survived by three grandchildren.

Date Posted

Jul 30, 2013