Clark T. Randt, Jr.

Clark Thorp "Sandy" Randt Jr. (born November 24, 1945) is an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to the People's Republic of China from July 28, 2001 to January 20, 2009, making him the longest-serving U.S. Ambassador to China. Randt was formerly a partner with the law firm of Shearman & Sterling in Hong Kong, where he headed the firm's China practice.

Education After preparing at The Hotchkiss School, Randt graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1968 and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School in 1975. He also attended Harvard Law School where he was awarded the East Asia Legal Studies Traveling Fellowship to China. While at Yale, he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity with George W. Bush.

Career From 1968 to 1972, Randt served in the United States Air Force Security Service, and in 1974 he was the China representative of the National Council for United States-China Trade.

Randt was nominated U.S. Ambassador to China by President George W. Bush on April 30, 2001 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 11, 2001. He was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to China on July 17, 2001 and arrived in Beijing on July 23.

As a political appointee, Randt was required by convention to resign at the end of Bush's term. The Deputy Chief of Mission took over as chargé d'affaires at the U.S. embassy for several months before Barack Obama's appointment of Jon Huntsman. Randt is currently a special advisor to Hopu Investment Management, a Chinese private equity fund.

Personal life Randt is married and has three children.