2012
Ambassador Robert S. Strauss
Deemed one of the most effective and entertaining men ever to command the political arena, Robert S. Strauss has made an indelible mark on the modern American political landscape. Raised in the small West Texas town of Stamford, he served as a special agent of the FBI after earning his law degree from The University of Texas School of Law in 1941. In 1945 he entered private practice and founded the firm that became Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, which today has offices in 13 cities and around the globe. Respected across party lines for his political and diplomatic savvy, and beloved for his quick wit and unabashed candor, Mr. Strauss served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1973 to 1976, and chaired President Carter’s 1976 and 1980 presidential campaigns. Appointed a Special Trade Representative by President Carter, Mr. Strauss successfully concluded the Tokyo Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, directing its passage through Congress in 1979. Following completion of the trade agreements, Mr. Strauss served as President Carter’s personal representative to the Middle East Peace Negotiations. President George H.W. Bush appointed Mr. Strauss U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union in 1991. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he became Ambassador to the Russian Federation, and retired from the Foreign Service in 1992. Among his numerous awards, Mr. Strauss is a 1981 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He founded and funded The Robert S. Strauss Center For International Security and Law at The University of Texas in 2007. Mr. Strauss is Chairman Emeritus of the U.S.-Russia Business Council, a member of the Council on Foreign Affairs, and a trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is a popular lecturer and has occupied the Lloyd Bentsen Chair at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.
Deemed one of the most effective and entertaining men ever to command the political arena, Robert S. Strauss has made an indelible mark on the modern American political landscape. Raised in the small West Texas town of Stamford, he served as a special agent of the FBI after earning his law degree from The University of Texas School of Law in 1941. In 1945 he entered private practice and founded the firm that became Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, which today has offices in 13 cities and around the globe. Respected across party lines for his political and diplomatic savvy, and beloved for his quick wit and unabashed candor, Mr. Strauss served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1973 to 1976, and chaired President Carter’s 1976 and 1980 presidential campaigns. Appointed a Special Trade Representative by President Carter, Mr. Strauss successfully concluded the Tokyo Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, directing its passage through Congress in 1979. Following completion of the trade agreements, Mr. Strauss served as President Carter’s personal representative to the Middle East Peace Negotiations. President George H.W. Bush appointed Mr. Strauss U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union in 1991. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he became Ambassador to the Russian Federation, and retired from the Foreign Service in 1992. Among his numerous awards, Mr. Strauss is a 1981 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He founded and funded The Robert S. Strauss Center For International Security and Law at The University of Texas in 2007. Mr. Strauss is Chairman Emeritus of the U.S.-Russia Business Council, a member of the Council on Foreign Affairs, and a trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is a popular lecturer and has occupied the Lloyd Bentsen Chair at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.