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Gregory J. Newell

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Gregory J. Newell
with Nancy Reagan and Mrs. Newell at Villa Åkerlund, Stockholm, 1987
United States Ambassador to Sweden
In office
1985–1989
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byFranklin S. Forsberg
Succeeded byCharles Edgar Redman
15th Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs
In office
June 4, 1982 – November 12, 1985
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byElliott Abrams
Succeeded byAlan L. Keyes
Personal details
Born (1949-08-30) August 30, 1949 (age 75)
Geneseo, Illinois
Political partyRepublican
SpouseCandilyn Jones
Alma materBrigham Young University, Harvard University
ProfessionFormer Diplomat

Gregory John Newell (born August 30, 1949) was a United States ambassador to Sweden from 1985 to 1989 and was the assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs when the US withdrew from UNESCO in 1985. He is currently the president of International Commerce Development Corporation.

Early life and education

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Newell was born August 30, 1949, in Geneseo, Illinois.[1][2] Newell was raised in Illinois, Iowa, and California. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) along with his family in Iowa when he was ten years old.[3] He studied at Brigham Young University's Hawaii campus from 1967-1968.[1] He served a mission for the LDS Church in France and Belgium, afterwards studying international relations and political science at Brigham Young University (BYU). At Harvard, he completed the Senior Managers in Government program.[2] He worked as a planning analyst for an insurance company 1975-1975, and then as a coordinator of evaluation in the language department at the missionary training center from 1977 to 1978.[1]

Political work

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Newell began his political career in 1975 as a staff assistant for Between White House assignments Newell worked for Gerald Ford. In 1979, he worked in U.S. Senator Bob Dole's presidential campaign office. He worked for Pennsylvania's Republican Governor Richard Thornburgh as a deputy administrative assistant 1979–1980. He served in the White House as a special assistant to the president and director of presidential appointments under Ronald Reagan in 1981–1982.[1] He was a U.S. assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs from 1982–1985.[4] He was the youngest Assistant Secretary of State.[5]

Withdrawal from UNESCO

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While Newell was an assistant secretary of state, the United States withdrew from UNESCO in 1985. Newell criticized UNESCO, stating that they spent eighty percent of its funds on administration. Newell also criticized UNESCO for supporting "Soviet-inspired" disarmament of countries and favoring the rights of states over individual rights. UNESCO was also criticized for being hostile to the free market and free press.[6][7] Newell argued that US withdrawal would spur reform fastest and cited the 1977 US exit from the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Geneva as a similar example where an organization changed after the US withdrew from an organization.[8] UNESCO spokesperson Doudou Diene remarked that the US had not submitted any reform proposal or informed UNESCO of any conditions of their membership. Newell stated that the US had made specific requests.[6] The official statement of the US's withdrawal called UNESCO's reforms of the last year "incremental" but not "concrete."[9] Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy praised Newell's withdrawal from UNESCO "as a result of serious problems that plagued that agency administratively and politically."[10]

Ambassadorship

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Newell was United States Ambassador to Sweden from 1985 to 1989.[2] Appointed at age 36, he was one of the youngest ambassadors from the United States.[11] Democratic Senator Joseph Biden criticized Newell's appointment.[12]

Later career

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In 1991, Newell was managing director of Nu Skin's international department.[13] In 1993, Newell founded the International Commerce Development Corporation (ICDC), an international business consulting agency.[10]

Personal life and church service

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Newell and Candilyn Jones were married on October 2, 1978.[14] They reside in Utah, where Candilyn is the career director of life sciences and teaches a class on professional etiquette at BYU.[15][16]

From 2011-2014, Newell served as a mission president to the Church's mission in Sweden.[17][18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Nomination of Gregory J. Newell To Be United States Ambassador to Sweden October 8, 1985". American Reference Library. Public Papers of Ronald Reagan.
  2. ^ a b c Freedman, Catie; Murphy, John. "Collection: Gregory J. Newell papers". archives.lib.byu.edu.
  3. ^ Lubeck, Kathleen (October 1987). "Gregory J. Newell, United States Ambassador to Sweden: The Art of Family Life". The Ensign.
  4. ^ "Gregory J. Newell". history.state.gov. Office of the Historian.
  5. ^ "Ambassador to Talk". Provo Daily Herald. newspapers.lib.utah.edu. 30 March 1989. p. 9. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  6. ^ a b Omang, Joanne (20 December 1984). "UNESCO Withdrawal Announced". Washington Post. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  7. ^ Mote, Lisa (11 March 1987). "Diplomat says UN can be effective". Provo Daily Herald. newspapers.lib.utah.edu. p. 4.
  8. ^ Francis, David (December 17, 1984). "UNESCO faces up to US pullout, shrinking budget". Christian Science Monitor.
  9. ^ Newell, Gregory J. (20 December 1984). "Text of Statement by U.s. on Its Withdrawal from Unesco". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  10. ^ a b "International Commerce Development Corporation". ICDC. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  11. ^ Clarity, James F.; Weaver, Warren Jr. (2 May 1985). "BRIEFING; Packing Their Bags". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  12. ^ "Senator Biden Critical Of a Reagan Appointee". The New York Times. Reuters. 8 November 1985. p. 14.
  13. ^ "Nu Skin Expands into Hong Kong". Orem-Geneva Times. 11 September 1991. p. 11.
  14. ^ "Candi Jones Marries Greg Newell". Provo Daily Herald. 5 October 1978. p. 30.
  15. ^ Benson, Emma (11 February 2019). "BYU professor teaches humanity through professional etiquette". The Daily Universe.
  16. ^ Benson, Emma (20 September 2019). "BYU Career Services shares tips and tricks for writing a resume". The Daily Universe.
  17. ^ "New mission presidents". Church News. 16 April 2011.
  18. ^ "New mission presidents". Church News. 29 March 2014.
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Government offices
Preceded by Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs
June 4, 1982 – November 12, 1985 		Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by U.S. Ambassador to Sweden
1985–1989 		Succeeded by
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