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Biography · Biography & Culture

Clifton Reginald Wharton Sr.

1899–1990

United States

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Biography

Clifton Reginald Wharton Sr. (May 11, 1899 – April 25, 1990) was an American diplomat, and the first African American diplomat to become an ambassador by rising through the ranks of the Foreign Service rather than by political appointment such as Frederick Douglass. He also became the first Black Foreign Service Officer to become chief of a diplomatic mission.

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Black heritage reference ↗

Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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