Draft:Nancy Ostrander

Nancy Ostrander (1925 – February 2024) was an American Diplomat who served as ambassador to Suriname during the Surinamese Coup in 1980. Nancy was raised on a farm near Indianapolis, Indiana, by a single mother after her father passed away when she was just six months old. Despite not having any siblings, Nancy shared a sisterly bond with her cousin Eva Ruth who came to live with her while Nancy’s uncle worked in Cuba. Later, Nancy went on to attend Butler University where she pursued a degree in Spanish and graduated in 1947.

The Summer after graduating, Nancy traveled to Cuba with her friends to visit her Uncle who worked there. In Cuba, Nancy found a job with the consulate at Santiago de Cuba where she worked as a Foreign Service Staff. This marked the beginning of Nancy’s career in the Foreign Service. She then took clerical positions in Cuba from 1947-1950, held positions in the Bureau of Personnel, Visa Office, Inspection Corps and acted as the personnel counselor for the Senior Officer Division in the Bureau of Personnel from 1976-1978. Ultimately, Nancy was chosen as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Republic of Surinam in 1798 under President Jimmy Carter.

After taking over the role from J. Owen Zurhellen, Jr., Nancy got to work reporting on the complicated political situation in Surinam. By the time she arrived, the country had just gained its independence from the Netherlands (1975) and was experiencing a period of social unrest, economic depression, and widespread corruption within the Surinamese government. At the time, the country was led by Prime Minister Henck Arron.

The defining moments of Nancy Ostrander’s time as ambassador to Suriname occurred in the wake of the 1980 coup against Prime Minister Henck Arron’s government. In January, mere months before an election campaign, sergeants in the Surinamese military organized a strike to force the government into approving their labor union. However, their demands were largely ignored. By February, the sergeants had staged a violent coup against the government that resulted in the deaths of around 6-8 people. During the coup, Nancy recalled hearing gunshots and ammunition in the streets but did not believe she was in significant danger. She said that the conflict was primarily between the Surinamese Army, local police, and the Dutch. However, during this time, three aircrafts (carrying approximately 65 soldiers) from the US Air Force were refueling in Suriname. Despite the chaotic situation, Nancy was able to successfully negotiate for these soldiers and the 3 aircrafts to safely use the airports and leave Suriname.

In the aftermath of the coup, Nancy perceived that Suriname was beginning to pull away from the Netherlands and could possibly turn their allegiances towards the US. To deepen the connection between the two countries, Nancy had hoped to offer Surinamese students scholarships to attend American Universities through the United States Information Agency (USIA). Ultimately, Nancy was unable to secure funding from the USIA.

However, Nancy Ostrander (aided by Foreign Service Officer Jonathan Rickert) was able to help stabilize the political situation in Surinam through diplomacy. Following the coup, Chin A Sen was appointed Prime Minister and quietly sought to restore democracy within Surinam. According to Rickert, Chin A Sen was not a savior for Surinam, but certainly a better option than the country’s NMR (National Military Council) which hoped to establish ties with Cuba and other leftist regimes. When Prime Minister Chin A Sen was unable to handle the pressure and felt ready to resign his position, Ambassador Nancy Ostrander met with him and informed Chin A Sen that he had the backing of the United States Government. Nancy’s supporting during this meeting convinced Chin A Sen to not resign and helped stabilize the situation (albeit briefly as Chin A Sen was removed from office less than two years later).

Nancy Ostrander left Surinam in July of 1980 and became Diplomat in Residence at Indiana University/Purdue University in Indianapolis and then served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Populations Affairs until her retirement in 1989. She was succeeded in Surinam by John J. Crowley Jr. (1928-1995) who investigated the connections between Surinamese leadership and Havana.

As a result of her work, Nancy was awarded three Superior Honor Awards by the Department of State. One of these awards was given for her contributions to the Department’s task force investigating the TWA Flight 847 hijacking. Nancy also received Butler University’s Alumni Achievement Award and the Order of the Palm award from the Surinamese government.

In addition to her experience working at the DOS, Nancy Ostrander was a member of the Board of Directors of Family Health International and participated in the Women’s Rotary Club of Indianapolis.

Nancy passed away peacefully in her Indianapolis home on Feb 18, 2024, at the age of 98.