MENZIES, John Karl

MENZIES

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/23/2016 at 14:30:10

BIOGRAPHY of JOHN Karl MENZIES
Graceland University, Lamoni, Decatur County, Iowa

John K. Menzies was born on November 26, 1948, Pittsfield, Illinois. He attended Graceland University for his sophomore year (1967-68) before earning his B.A. (1971 in German and history) and M.A. (1973 in German) at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He subsequently obtained his Ph.D. in German from the University of California, Berkeley (1981).

Menzies helped initiate the exchange program that sent Bulgarian students to Graceland beginning in 1989. Menzies served as the 16th president of Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, from September 2002 to August 2006. On August 5, 2006, Menzies resigned in order to return to work in international relations. During his time as president, Menzies was instrumental in attracting more than 300 international students to Graceland University, many from the Balkan states. In January 2006, Menzies traveled to Kosovo to consult on final independence talks taking place in Vienna.

Prior to joining Graceland University as President, he was Chief of Mission at the U.S. Office in Kosovo and served as the United States Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina from January 7 through December 15, 1996. He served in U.S. Foreign Service posts in Hungary, East Germany, and Bulgaria. He was assigned to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, and to the office of the Coordinator for the Support for East European Democracy (SEED) program in Washington.

From 1997 to 1999, Ambassador Menzies was a Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace as leader of the Balkan working group.

Through his many roles in the U.S. State Department, Menzies has become recognize for his tireless efforts in building democracy in eastern Europe while pursing the needs of the people in those countries.

Menzies' honors include the Department of State Superior Honor Award, an American Bar Association Award for dedication and service toward advancing the rule of law, several honorary degrees, and the Bulgarian Order of the Madarsky Konnik. He also received the Community of Christ International Human Rights Award for the year 2000.

Menzies' previously served as assistant to the dean of the graduate division at the University of California, Santa Barbara. While assigned in Sofia in 1991, he also founded the American University in Bulgaria.

Divorced with three daughters, Lauren, Alexandra, and Morgan, Menzies is currently [2010] dean of the Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University.

SOURCES:

Goehner, David. “The Graceland College Book of Knowledge: From A To Z.” p. 427. Herald House. Independence MO. 1997.

dictionary.sensagent.com/John%20K.%20Menzies/en-en/

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2016

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