Craig Roberts Stapleton

Craig Roberts Stapleton
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61st United States Ambassador to France
In office July 25, 2005 – 2009
President	George W. Bush Barack Obama
Preceded by	Howard H. Leach
Succeeded by	Charles Rivkin
4th United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic
In office 2001–2004
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	John Shattuck
Succeeded by	William J. Cabaniss
Personal details
Born	1945 (age 78–79) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Spouse(s)	Dorothy Walker Stapleton
Children	2
Residence	Greenwich, Connecticut
Alma mater	Harvard University
Occupation	Diplomat, Businessman

Craig Roberts Stapleton (born 1945) is a former United States ambassador to France and the Czech Republic.

Biography

Early life

Craig Stapleton was born in Kansas City, Missouri. His grandfather, Benjamin F. Stapleton, was a politician who served five terms as mayor of Denver. He received his secondary school education at Phillips Exeter Academy and a B.A. (magna cum laude) from Harvard University. He received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. His wife, Dorothy Walker Stapleton, is a first cousin of former U.S. president George H.W. Bush.

Career

He served as President of Marsh and McLennan Real Estate Advisors of New York from 1982 until 2001. From 1989 to 1998 Stapleton co-owned the Texas Rangers baseball team with George W. Bush. He has served on the board of directors for several companies including Allegheny Properties, Metro PCS, TB Woods and Winston Partners. In July 2009, he became a co-owner of the St. Louis Cardinals.

During the administration of George H.W. Bush, Stapleton sat on the Board of the Peace Corps. He served as ambassador to the Czech Republic from August 2001 to December 2003. In 2004, he was the Connecticut State Chairman for the Bush-Cheney reelection campaign. In June 2005 he was appointed ambassador to France and served until July 2009. He is a member of CERGE-EI Foundation supporting economic education in transition and developing countries.

In 2007 he recommended to the Bush administration that they wage a trade war on European crops, due to European resistance to genetically modified foods such as MON 810, thus denying a key US export.

"Ambassador Stapleton goes on to write, quote, "Country team Paris recommends that we calibrate a target retaliation list that causes some pain across the EU since this is a collective responsibility, but that also focuses in part on the worst culprits. The list should be measured rather than vicious and must be sustainable over the long term, since we should not expect an early victory," he wrote."

Stapleton made an appearance on the Food Network show, The Next Iron Chef in 2007. The final three chefs remaining in the competition each prepared a three-course American-themed dinner for the ambassador and 20 guests. The competition took place in the ambassador's official residence.

Personal life

He and his wife live in Greenwich, Connecticut and have two adult children; his son Walker Stapleton was elected Colorado State Treasurer in 2010.

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by John Shattuck	U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic 2001–2004	Succeeded by William J. Cabaniss
Preceded by Howard H. Leach	U.S. Ambassador to France 2005–2009	Succeeded by Charles Rivkin
Preceded by New office	U.S. Ambassador to Monaco 2006–2009	Succeeded by Charles Rivkin