Donald R. Heath

Who was Donald R. Heath?

Donald Read Heath was a member of the United States Foreign Service for more than four decades including service as the Ambassador to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. During his tenure as Ambassador to Vietnam, Heath advocated and carried out American policy under Secretary of State John Foster Dulles that helped set the stage for American military involvement.

Heath was born in Topeka, Kansas the son of Hubert A. Estelle Heath. He was educated in Topeka public schools and graduated from Washburn University about 1915. He attended the University of Montpellier in France for one semester. While a student at Washburn, Heath was a member of the Kansas Beta Chapter of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity where among his chapter brothers was Arthur S. Champeny. On October 10, 1920 he married Sue Louise Bell.

In 1950, Washburn awarded Heath its Distinguished Service Award. In 1958, the Washburn again honored him with an honorary doctorate of laws.