- William Howard Wriggins
William Howard Wriggins (
1918 -August 30 ,2008 ) was an Americandiplomat ,author andacademic who served as theUnited States ambassador toSri Lanka and theMaldives from 1977 until 1979. cite news |first=|last=|title=Former US envoy to Lanka dies |url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/09/19/news24.asp|work=Ceylon Daily News |publisher=|date=2008-09-19 |accessdate=2008-09-23] His interest in the study of Sri Lanka spanned over fifty years of professional and academic work.Early life
Wriggins was born in 1918. He received degrees from
Dartmouth College , theUniversity of Chicago andYale University . cite news |first=|last=|title=Passing of Ambassador W. Howard Wriggins |url=http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/13307 |work=Asian Tribune |publisher=|date=2008-09-19 |accessdate=2008-09-23]He temporarily left his acadmic studies for four years during
World War II in order to work with theAmerican Friends Service Committee (AFSC) on their relief missions inPortugal ,France ,North Africa andSpain . Wriggins continued to work with the AFSC after the war. He lived for a time in theGaza Strip while working for the AFSC in its relief efforts there.Career
Much of Wriggins academic studies and professional career centered on the study of
South Asia , specificallySri Lanka . He wrote numerous books and other works on the study of Sri Lanka. He published his first book, "Ceylon: Dilemmas of a New Nation", in 1960. He later co-authored a biography of formerSri Lankan President Junius Richard Jayewardene withK.M. de Silva , aProfessor Emeritus ofHistory at theUniversity of Ceylon .Wriggins became a Professor of
political science andinternational relations atColumbia University inNew York City . His studies at Columbia focused on Sri Lanka and he was considered one of the foremostscholars of Sri Lankan studies in theUnited States .Wriggins was working as a professor at Columbia University when
U.S. President Jimmy Carter nominated him to beambassador toSri Lanka and theMaldives in 1977. He took a leave of anbsense from the school in order to serve as ambassador.He returned to Columbia University following the end of his diplomatic posting in 1979. He later became the director of Columbia University's Southern Asian Institute. Wriggins was a Bryce Professor of International Relations, Emeritus, at Columbia University at the time of his death in 2008.
Death
William Howard Wriggins died on
August 30 ,2008 , inHanover, New Hampshire . He was survived by his wife, Sally Hovey Wriggins, three children, and six grandchildren.Works authored
* "Ceylon: Dilemmas of a New Nation" - 1960
* "J.R. Jayewardene of Sri Lanka: A Political Biography" - 1988References
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