User:Ihedgar/Donald Dixon Edgar

Donald Dixon Edgar (February 18, 1907 – July 5, 1972) was an American diplomat from the 1930s to 1960s. He was U.S. Consul General in: Taipei, Taiwan (1949 - during America's transfer of diplomatic recognition from the P.R.C. to the R.O.C.); Alexandria, Egypt (1953-55); Rio de Janiero, Brazil (1956), and Marseille, France (1960-1962). He was also instrumental in the formation of the Central Intelligence Group (CIG) and later the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). During this time he served both in an administrative capacity and as an overseas operative under diplomatic cover.

In the CIG, he worked under General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Director of Central Intelligence, as Chief of his Interdepartmental Coordinating and Planning Staff (ICAPS) which had replaced the Central Planning Staff under Sidney Souers. General Vandenberg relied on him and Colonel Edwin Wright for all matters regarding internal organization and administration during this period. Edgar was a strong advocate of the prerogative of the DCI. He was succeeded by Prescot Childs, from the Department of State, in 1947.

Early life and education
Donald Edgar was born February 18th, 1907 in Metuchen, Middlesex County, New Jersey, to and Olive Dixon and David Raymond Edgar, of Scottish heritage.

He was raised in Leesburg, Florida where his father ran The Edgar Clay Company and The Edgar Kaolin Plastic Company (both Metuchen-based companies).

Married Janet Comstock on January 28, 1933

Education

Tome School, North East, MD

A.B. - Williams College, Williamstown, MA - 1924-1928

Post-Graduate - Columbia University, NY (studied International Law) - 1928-29

Career
Donald Dixon Edgar graduated from Williams College and pursued graduate studies at Columbia University. He joined the Foreign Service and in 1930 became US vice-consul in Kingston, Ontario, home to Canada's Royal Military College. From 1937 to 1940, he was consul general in Geneva, Switzerland, then a center of espionage activity. During WWII, he worked under-cover as a private businessman, but in 1944 was back in the State Department as chief informational liaison officer. From 1946 to 1947, he was chief of the newly created Central Intelligence Group, the immediate forerunner to the CIA. From 1948 to 1964, he worked for the CIA under diplomatic cover in Shanghai, Taipei, Rome, Alexandria, Rio de Janeiro and Marseilles.[

Appointed foreign service officer in 1930.

1948-1964 - Shanghai, Taipei, Rome, Alexandria, Rio de Janiero, Marseilles - CIA under diplomatic cover

Edgar was a Foreign Service Officer for his entire career. He resigned (or perhaps temporary leave) from the U.S. Government early in WWII (shortly after returning from Geneva) as The Edgar Clay Company (TECC), a family business based in Metuchen, NJ, was coming onto hard times. He was asked by the Edgar family's management/board (Charles Edgar?) to take over the company (as President?) which would require resignation from the government. It was at this time that he and his wife bought a 200 acre farm just outside Princeton, NJ.

He finally resigned from TECC around 1941. He moved his family to Rockville, MD (see history of the CIA predecessor's training school in/near Rockville) and after a year or so, moved to 1012 Prince Street in Alexandria, VA, and rejoined the US foreign service.

Senators Fulbright (Arkansas) and Pell (RI) encouraged Edgar to take charge of the I.E.S., which oversaw The Fulbright Scholarship Program as well. He also was offered one of the top three positions on the U. S.'s United Nations team. He declined as he felt the position was too political.

Shortly following his post in Egypt, Edgar was offered the U. S. Ambassadorship in the then relatively newly independent country of Singapore. As his wife had gone through a whole lot of trying posts, she asked him to decline.

He was actively involved in the global fund raising process (estim. $40 million) in relocating (1966-1967) the 3200 year old Abu Simbel monuments (temples) in Nubia, southern Egypt, to higher ground overlooking the Aswan High Dam reservoir.

Origination of President's Daily Brief
The President's Daily Brief, first created for President Kennedy, has since served as the only document prepared for the president that isn't annotated by aides. The origin of this document can be traced back to a proposal by Donald D. Edgar in an internal CIG memorandum of January 13, 1947, in which he stated:

"In trying to meet the needs of several levels requiring foreign intelligence with one series of reports, all of which are receiving almost identical distribution, we are not fully meeting the requirements of any. We appear to be overwriting for some and underwriting for others.

I propose that we prepare a special daily for the President, so written that it should reach the President regularly in its original form, and without the need for any preliminary annotations by aides. This will require very special selection and editing."

Role in America's Recognition of Nationalist China
On December 11, 1949, in the wake of the Communist takeover of mainland China, Edgar was made acting Consul General to the Republic of China at the consulate in Formosa.

In January 1950 he left Taipei for Hong Kong. This was initially reported as the beginning of the US 'evacuation' of Formosa:

"Five U. S. Workers Leave Formosa Taipei, Formosa, (IP) Five American government employes headed by U.S. Consul General Donald D. Edgar left for Hong Kong Tuesday in what was considered the start of an American evacuation of this threatened Nationalist island. Accompanying Edgar by plane to Hong Kong were four women members of the consulate and U.S. Information service staffs. Edgar said he would report to Washington and would not return. All women personnel and dependents will be evacuated from Formosa immediately in anticipation of a possible Communist attack in March, Edgar said. He added that the women might be replaced by men. There are some 230 American officials and civilians on Formosa. All civilians have been instructed unofficially by state department representatives that they should leave immediately. U.S. Charge D' Affaires Robert Strong immediately took over all consular activities from Edgar in addition to his own work as top American diplomat on the island."

But media coverage of the move changed within days to:

"Donald D. Edgar, consul, left for Washington Monday on an assignment. His departure had long been planned. Three American women employees of the embassy and consulate traveled to Hong Kong in the same plane with him.  The group's departure in no sense started a general evacuation of Americans from Formosa.  Robert Strong has taken over Edgar's duties in addition to his own as charge d'affaires.  The embassy and consulate are not likely to close unless the United States recognizes the Communists or the Red Invasion appears imminent."

Personal life
Married to Janet Comstock on 28 January 1933 in Plainfield, New Jersey, U.S.A. (Saturday afternoon at Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church)

Children Fathered four children.

Ian Lachlan (January 6, 1935), Antony Taylor (July 1, 1937), Heather (March 25, 1940), Thomas Ashley (November 15, 1942)

Home Purchased historic Smith-Morton Row House on 3034 P. Street, N.W., Washington (Georgetown), District of Columbia on April 3rd, 1959. Interestingly, this was the same building in which he had attended Foreign Service School during 1930-31.

Clubs & Associations Beta Theta Pi Chevy Chase Club Metropolitan Club, Washington D.C. Williams Club, New York

Post-career life and death
Died 05 July 1972 in South Pomfret, Windsor County, Vermont, United States of America.

Buried in Metuchen, NJ next to his wife.

Obituary
Donald Dixon Edgar of Washington, D.C., died suddenly on July 5 at his summer home, South Pomfret, Vermont, at the age of 65. A son of D. Raymond and Olive Dixon Edgar, he was graduated from Williams College in 1928, studied International Law at Columbia University, and entered the United States Foreign Service in 1930. In 1933 he married Janet Comstock and leaves besides his widow, one daughter, Mrs. William E. Carter IV, three sons, Ian Lachlan, Antony Taylor, and Thomas Ashley, and ten grandchildren. Mr. Edgar served in diplomatic posts throughout the world, and in recent years prior to his retirement, in the State Department in Washington. At the time of his death he was prominent in the activities of the American Research Center of Egypt, and was a Visitor of the Egypt Department of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He was a member of the Beta Theta Pi. His clubs included the Chevy Chase Club and the Metropolitan Club in Washington, and the Williams Club in New York.

References and further reading
Books



Journals




 * "Interview with Wingate Lloyd", Interviewed by Charles Stuart Kennedy, Association For Diplomatic Studies and Training, Foreign Affairs Oral History Project, February 1st, 2001


 * "Interview with Alfred Joseph White", Interviewed by John J. Harter, The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, Foreign Affairs Oral History Project, September 17th, 1997


 * "A.N. Marquis Co. Who's Who Inc. In America, 1962-63, 32nd Edition, Vol. 32"

U.S. Government Records & Memos


 * "The Raymond E. Murphy, Collection on Communism, 1917-1958, Part II: China", Records of the Central Intelligence Agency


 * "Vandenberg's Tenure as Director of Central Intelligence", Archive of The Department of State, Documents 176 & 178


 * "Foreign Relations of the United States 1945-1950 Emergence of the Intelligence Establishment", Department of State

Declassified CIA Memos


 * "Declassified Memo", Central Intelligence Agency, October 2nd, 1946


 * "Declassified Memo", Central Intelligence Agency, October 28th, 1946


 * "Declassified Memo", Central Intelligence Agency, October 28th, 1946


 * "Declassified Memo", Central Intelligence Agency, November 7, 1946
 * "Declassified Memo", Central Intelligence Agency, November 26th, 1946


 * "Declassified Memo", Central Intelligence Agency, November 27th, 1946


 * "Declassified Memo", Central Intelligence Agency, April 17th, 1947


 * "Declassified Memo", Central Intelligence Agency, May 21st, 1947

External links


 * Time.com - 'CUBA: Shipboard Friendship', July 15th, 1935
 * New York Times - 'The Foreign Service', July 11th, 1937


 * The Spokesman-Review - 'Reassignment Due', December 4, 1949


 * The Bakersfield Californian - Page 14, January 10, 1950


 * Eugene Register-Guard - 'Citizens in Formosa See No Danger', January 11th, 1950


 * City.udn.com Forum -'吳國楨和兩蔣關係', January 2nd, 2009. Excerpt: "十二月十三日，蔣與陳誠談對美政策及改組省府問題. 陳誠十分不悅﹐最後勉強同意，但提醒蔣應注意白吉爾談話是否真的代表美國政府？蔣決先派吳國楨代理台省主席，「以試美國援華之態度如何. 」當天蔣約見吳告知此一安排. 吳國楨表面接受，私下卻向美國官員抱怨蔣的做法. 據美國國務院檔案，十二月十三日當晚﹐吳國楨氣憤地告訴回任駐台總領事的艾德嘉（Donald Edgar），蔣介石不同意他所提出的接掌省府四點要求，目前只給他代理省主席頭銜，若一個月內能夠取得美援，才真除他. 吳問艾德嘉在此情況下是否能夠在一個月內取得美援，艾氏回答說不太可能. 吳表示將去電蔣介石拒絕接任省主席. "