James Akins:
CLASS OF 1943
East High SchoolClass of 1943
Akron, OH
James's Story
After graduation, I attended Akron U until I turned 18 in Oct '44. and entred the navy. The war ended while I was on the battleship New York headed towrd Japan. I graduated from Akron U in 47 and then went to Europe - France, Germany, Czechoslovakia to do reliefwork with the American Friends Service Committe. After a year at the University of strasbourg> France I walked (yes walked) through Freece and Turkey ending in Beirut Lebanon where I took the examination for the Foreign Service in 1952. there was no class of 53 (height of McCarthy's power) but ented the Foreign Service in June, 1954 a few days after my marriage to Marjorie Abbott (of upstate New York.
We have two children, Thomas (father of our only granddaughters, identical twins, now 7 and one now 4) Our daughter has no children.
In the Foreign Servicvce I served in Naples, Pazris, Strasboug, Damascus, Beirut, Kuwait and Baghdad (four years, and my favorite post in the foreign service), then 8 years in Washington and finally Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Although I was a career officer, once one becomes Ambassador, you lo...Expand for more
se all civil service protection. And as I had serious policy differences with Henry Kissinger - too complex to detail here - I was recalled to Washington in 1976 and left the foreign service in April, 1977.
Subsequently, I supported myself by my analyses of international oil markets and Middle East political developments for various international companies.
Five years ago I :retired" and we moved - much against my better judgement to an institution for the relatively affluent in an exurb of Washington, DC. where I wait the end.
As a confirmed agnostic my last wish is that I will not emulate Voltaire (the famous French philosopher/writer) who, after a long life of anti-clerical, anti-religious writings, returned, on his death-bed to the church. When questioned about this, he replied "who can know absolutely, what happens after death? Perhaps, after all, the Church is right. Then I've saved myself a long periord in purgatory or a longer time in Hell. If I've been right, it makes no difference at all. "
My sole remaining goal in life is to be remembered fondly my my grandchildren
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