Lincoln MacVeagh (October 1, 1890 – January 15, 1972) was a United States diplomat, archaeologist, soldier and publisher, he was the founder of Dial Press. He served a long career as the United States ambassador to several countries during difficult times.
MacVeagh family
The MacVeagh family has several noted names in the history of the United States:
Lincoln MacVeagh was born October 1, 1890, in Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island, the son of Charles MacVeagh and Fanny Davenport Rogers MacVeagh. MacVeagh graduated from Groton School in 1909 and Harvardmagna cum laude in 1913. He studied languages at the Sorbonne in 1913–14. He was fluent in German, French, Spanish, Latin, and Classical Greek.
On August 17, 1917, MacVeagh married Margaret Charlton Lewis, the daughter of a distinguished linguist. She also was a serious student of classical languages. Their daughter, Margaret Ewen MacVeagh, accompanied her parents on various tours of duty around the world. Mrs. MacVeagh died on September 9, 1947.
In 1940, at the beginning of World War II, British troops had invaded and occupied Iceland in fear that Germany would take the island first. In July 1941, the governments of Iceland and the US had agreed that Iceland's defense would be the responsibility of the United States. On August 8, 1941, President Roosevelt appointed MacVeagh as the first U.S. ambassador to Iceland to manage the sensitive relations between the U.S. and Iceland. He remained in Reykjavík until June 27, 1942.
On November 12, 1943, President Roosevelt again called on MacVeagh's experience in sensitive foreign relations. The President sent him to Cairo to act as the ambassador to the governments-in-exile of Greece and Yugoslavia who had fled their countries. After the liberation of Greece, MacVeagh transferred the embassy back to Athens on October 27, 1944. The office of the Embassy at Cairo was closed, November 8, 1944.
In 1947, he gave secret testimony to the Congress on the danger of Soviet-supported extreme leftist movements in the Balkans. This testimony was considered an important factor in formulating what became known as the Truman Doctrine, which stated that the U.S. would support Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid to prevent their falling into the Soviet Union's sphere of influence. MacVeagh pressed the post-war Greek Government to pursue a democratic policy.
While he was in Greece, MacVeagh conducted excavations beneath the Acropolis and made archeological contributions to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. With his first wife, Margaret, he wrote Greek Journey, a book for children. His wife died while they were in Athens. He left Athens on October 11, 1947.
President Truman named MacVeagh as ambassador to Portugal on April 8, 1948. While in Lisbon, he was instrumental in bringing Portugal into NATO. He remained at the post in Lisbon until February 26, 1952.
In 1952, President Truman called upon MacVeagh to serve as ambassador to Spain. He served for a year in Madrid.
Retirement
He retired in 1953 as an envoy in Madrid after having conducted successful negotiations for military and economic agreements between the United States and Spain.
In May 1955, MacVeagh remarried Mrs. Virginia Ferrante Coats, daughter of Marchese and Marchesa Ferrante di Ruffano of Naples, Italy.