John Peter Condon

John Peter Condon (August 6, 1920 – November 22, 2011) was an American diplomat who served as the first U.S. Ambassador to Tuvalu from 1979 to 1980.

Early life and career John Peter Condon was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on August 6, 1920. Both of his parents were Greek immigrants. Condon lived in Greece with his mother and brother from 1926 until 1945, when his family was repatriated with assistance from the U.S. Department of State. He attended the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and the University of Athens. He received a master's degree in sociology from Columbia University and a doctorate of law from the University of Athens.

Condon worked at the Greek American Chamber of Commerce in New York from 1948 to 1950, then worked for the Unemployment Compensation Office for one year.

In his early career, he served as a labor officer in Tunis, Algiers, Saigon, and Beirut, beginning his assignment in Algiers shortly after Algeria gained independence. His position was regional, and he served as labor attaché for Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya.

He later served as U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Tonga, and Tuvalu concurrently, while also being the U.S. representative on the South Pacific Commission, residing in Suva as the first resident U.S. ambassador in Fiji.

Condon’s appointment as ambassador to Tuvalu came one year after the United States recognized the country’s independence in 1978.

Condon was optimistic about interracial and interethnic cooperation upon leaving Fiji, though this optimism was later challenged when the 1987 Fijian coups d'état occurred due to tensions between Indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians.

Retirement and death Condon retired in November 1980.