Nicholas Alexander Veliotes
October 28, 1928 ~ May 14, 2024
Resided in:
McLean, Virginia
Nicholas A. Veliotes, a Foreign Service officer and Middle East specialist, who led the USG successful effort to implement the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty and to craft The Reagan Plan to broker a peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians in 1982, died on May 14, 2024. Ambassador Veliotes served 31 years in the Foreign Service. As a career officer, he worked away from the glare of publicity for most of his career. An unexpected exception occurred in Oct. 1985 when his call from the hijacked cruise ship Achille Lauro was intercepted by the media …. he insisted that the Egyptians prosecute the hijackers … was heard around the world.
Mr.Veliotes received his commission in the Foreign Service in 1955 and served in Naples and Rome (Italy), New Delhi (India), Vientiane (Laos). In 1969 he was selected as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at Princeton University.
Mr.Veliotes was the Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State from 1971 until 1973. In 1973 he served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d’Affaires in Tel Aviv, Israel. In 1975 he returned to the Department of State as Deputy Director of the Policy Planning Staff and then Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs(1977-1978).
Mr.Veliotes was appointed Ambassador to Jordan (1978-1981). In 1981 he was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs. In late 1983 he was appointed Ambassador to Egypt until his retirement from the Foreign Service in April, 1986. The notorious hi-jacking of the cruise ship Achille Lauro occurred during his tenure in Cairo. During his career, he was known as an activist, outspoken leader of the foreign affairs community and widely admired for his integrity and dedication to the goal of preserving and promoting the interests of the United States.
Ambassador Veliotes became President of the Association of American Publishers (AAP) in May, 1986, and retired from the AAP in 1997, as President Emeritus. During his tenure as President of the AAP, he was very active in the international arena and led publisher delegations to a large number of countries in Western and Eastern Europe, East and South Asia, the Middle East and Cuba. Upon retirement from the AAP he became an international consultant and lecturer and periodically appeared on US and foreign media, as well as the Voice of America.
At the request of the Secretary, in 1990 he chaired a year long Congressionally
mandated study of the Departments personnel policies and practices. The report of this study-The State Team of the Future—- reconfirmed the need for a separate Foreign Service working in tandem with a strong Civil Service to carry out the mission of the State Department. Many of the recommendations of the report were adopted by the successor Clinton Administration.
Mr. Veliotes was a member of the Middle East Institute, the Council on Foreign Relations, Veterans of Foreign Wars and The Society of Berkeley Fellows (University of California). He served on the Boards of the American Academy of Diplomacy, AMIDEAST, Foundation for Middle East Peace, ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid, and The Hollings Center for International Dialogue.
Mr. Veliotes received the Department of State Distinguished Honor Award and the Presidential Superior Service Award. The French Government decorated him with the award of “Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres” for his contribution in the field of international publishing. He received the B’nai Brith Shield of our Fathers Award for his contribution to peace in the Middle East.
Mr. Veliotes was born on October 28,1928 in Oakland, California to Irene Kiskakis and Alexander Veliotes, both immigrants from Greece. His brother John was a musician and artist and a member of the Rhythm and Blues and Rock and Roll Halls of fame. He was married to the, former Patricia Nolan, a University of California graduate, musician and teacher.
As a high school student leader he attended the founding conference of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945. After service in the U.S. army from 1946-1948, he attended the University of California,Berkeley and was awarded both a Bachelor’s and Masters Degree. He was a student -athlete who participated in rugby and football. He was a member of the Berkeley High School Hall of Fame, The BIG C society at UC, and Pappy’s Boys, and the Berkeley Fellows. In 2008 he was awarded the Glen Seaborg Award for Life Achievement of a former Cal football player.
Ambassador Veliotes is survived by his wife of 72 years and two sons.
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Charities
The family greatly appreciates donations made to these charities in Nicholas Alexander Veliotes 's name.
Academy of Diplomacy
Amideast
Anera (American Near East Refugee Aid)
Foundation for Middle East Peace
Levine Music School, Washington D.C.
The Hollings Center for Interational Dialogue
Memories Timeline
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I was one of many of my generation whom Nick was a mentor to. When he was NEA Asst. Secretary, I was on the Israeli/Palestinian desk. We spent a good deal of the summer/fall of 1982 in the Dept. when Israel invaded Lebanon to root out the PLO. Nick was an inspired leader with the highest sense of ethics. He wasn’t afraid to take on his superiors if he felt we had the wrong policy. He had a great sense of humor and years later he would tease me after I was the U.S. Ambassador to Greece with the implication that he would have been better suited for the job (I always agreed). Nick will be missed by many of us, but his family should know that he was one of few in the Foreign Service who made a real difference. Tom Miller
Greetings, Patty, We were saddened to read in today’s newspaper that Nick had passed away. We hope Nick died peacefully.
We have fond memories of time with you two, both in Cairo and the few times we got together here in Washington. You have more than 72 years of memories to cherish!
Finally, we hope that you are well and still enjoying your music. All the best to you and your sons. Ellen and Edward
Mary and I were saddened to learn of Nick’s death. He was a remarkable person, a great diplomat, and a role model and mentor for those who worked with him. I worked directly with him during my 1982-84 assignment in the Office of Egyptian Affairs when he was Assistant Secretary for NEA and then Ambassador to Egypt. Nick led NEA through a time of dramatic developments in the Middle East. His knowledge, integrity, candor (with his bosses and his staff), energy, and sense of humor, delivered in his unique gravelly voice, made us all work harder and better than we thought we could. Nick knew his staff, in Washington and Cairo, and always let them know how much he valued who they were and what they did. Nick had an outsized talent and personality and, like the good Berkeley alum that he was, he put what he had to work in the service of making the world a better place for more people.
Mary and I hope that it helps you and your family in this difficult time to know that your loss is shared and felt by all who ever had the good fortune to work with or know Nick. May he rest in peace.
Ken and Mary Brill
Dear Patty: Roz and I send sympathy to you on the loss of Nick, one of the most inspiring leaders for whom I worked during my career in a series of assignments in the Middle East, North Africa and State/NEA. Nick plucked me from Tunis in the summer of 1982 to be his Office Director for Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq. He turned me from a foreign diplomat into a policy maker and implementer in the wake of Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. Despite Nick’s elite education and experiences in senior diplomatic positions, one of his most memorable personality traits was his ability to come across as a man of the people in dealing with members of Congress. We all valued his mentorship and friendship. David
Margaret Miller, daughter of (Amb.) Bob Miller and Kaity (Antoniades) Miller
Dear Patty, Please know how sad I am to learn about Nick and am sending you condolences, sympathy with lots of love. Nick was truly an outstanding diplomat and friend. I have so many fond memories of good, interesting times together with Nick and you in Cairo and Washington/Virginia and will always treasure those memories. Your warm, welcoming hospitality was always appreciated by me and many others in different countries. I hope to see you again sometime. With love-peace, Liz Colton