Interview with Margaret Bennett, January 30, 2006

UGA Political Science Professor Dr. Ieda Siqueira Wiarda interviews Margaret Bennett about her life in the diplomatic corps and as the wife of Foreign Service Officer and U. S. Ambassador William Tapley Bennett, Jr. Bennett discusses her experiences coming to America, growing up as the daughter of Foreign Service workers, and becoming an ambassador's wife. She reflects on meeting famous people such as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. Bennett recalls living in Greece, Lisbon, Austria, Australia, Italy, the Dominican Republic, Turkey, Mozambique, Angola, Portugal, Spain, the United States, and Panama. Bennett also discusses her husband's work with the United Nations, the University of Georgia, as well as their time at NATO.

Margaret R. White Bennett was born in New York City in 1922 to parents who were in the diplomatic corps. Moving with her parents, Bennett lived in Caracas, Prague, Riga, Washington D.C., Buenos Aires, and Berlin. In 1945, she married William Tapley Bennett, Jr., who would become the longest serving member of the American Foreign Service in a career culminating with his post as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Security Council in 1972 and U.S. Ambassador to NATO in 1978. With her husband, Margaret Bennett represented the diplomatic face of the United States in Vienna, Athens, Santo Domingo, and Portugal. Mrs. Bennett lives in Washington, D.C.

2006-01-30

RBRL175OHD-006

105 minutes