John Morgan
British diplomat (1929-2012). Head of Far Eastern Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1970-1972, Head of Cultural Relations Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1972-1980, Ambassador to South Korea 1980-1983, Ambassador to Poland 1983-
About John Morgan
Lived 1929 – 2012 (aged 82–83). John Morgan was a British diplomat.
Sir John Albert Leigh Morgan (21 June 1929 – 24 June 2012) was a British diplomat who served as ambassador to South Korea, Poland and Mexico.
Early life Morgan was born on 21 June 1929, the son of John Edward Roland Morgan, of Wylde Green, Warwickshire.
He was educated at Chingford County High School and the London School of Economics.
His foreign postings included: third secretary to Moscow from 1953 to 1956; at the unstable time of Stalin's death; second secretary to Peking, serving from 1956 to 1958. From 1963 to 1964, he was first secretary to Rio de Janeiro. His senior positions included first secretary and cultural attaché to Moscow from 1965 to 1967; Ambassador to South Korea from 1980 to 1983, and Ambassador to Poland from 1983 to 1986, and Ambassador to Mexico from 1986 to 1989.
Morgan was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1982 and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1989. Before they divorced in 1975, John and Fiona were the parents of three children:
After their divorce, he married Angela Mary Eleanor Rathbone in 1976, with whom he had another son and daughter. Lady Morgan has served as President of Greenbank since 2002, inheriting the position from her uncle, Dr. B. L. Rathbone. She is also the grandniece of Eleanor Rathbone, the campaigner for family allowance and for women's rights and MP for Combined English Universities.
Sir John died on 24 June 2012.
Descendants Through his daughter Mary Ann, he was a grandfather of Frederick John Philip Gibson (b. 1993), the English record producer, singer, songwriter.
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Important facts
People in John Morgan's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was John Morgan?
British diplomat (1929-2012). Head of Far Eastern Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1970-1972, Head of Cultural Relations Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1972-1980, Ambassador to South Korea 1980-1983, Ambassador to Poland 1983-
When was John Morgan born?
John Morgan was born in 1929.
When did John Morgan die?
John Morgan died in 2012.
What was John Morgan's occupation?
John Morgan was a diplomat.
What nationality was John Morgan?
John Morgan was British.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: John Morgan (diplomat)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Morgan. https://biography.guide/john-morgan-diplomat/
MLA: "John Morgan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-morgan-diplomat/.
Chicago: "John Morgan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-morgan-diplomat/.
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