Harrison M. Symmes

Harrison Matthew Symmes (November 11, 1921 – May 8, 2010) was a career American diplomat who served as the American Ambassador to Jordan from 1967 to 1970. When he retired from the Foreign Service in 1974, Symmes became President of Windham College followed by becoming Resident Director of Mount Vernon in 1977.

Personal life Symmes finished his bachelor's degree in Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned a master's degree in International Relations at George Washington University in 1947. From 1962–1963, he was at Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs based on being awarded a Harvard University Fellowship. He was a member of the National Honor Society, Phi Beta Kappa, and Pi Gamma Mu.

After the West Bank was seized by Israel during the Six-Day War, members of the militant Palestinian group Fedayeen ultimately ”attacked” the US Embassy in Amman as part of a series of events “ seeking retribution for their dislocation.” As a result, Sisco cancelled the trip he had planned while he was in the region. Hussein took this as a personal insult.

Besides being posted in Jordan, Symmes also spent time posted in Egypt, Syria, Kuwait and Libya.