Peter Burleigh

Albert Peter Burleigh (born March 7, 1942) is an American diplomat who worked as a Foreign Service Officer and joined the American Academy of Diplomacy.

Early life and education Burleigh was born on March 7, 1942, in Los Angeles, California. He graduated from Hollywood High School and then Colgate University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in 1963.

Career Burleigh was a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal from 1963 to 1965, during which time he mastered the Nepali language. In addition to Nepali, he speaks Bengali, Hindi, and Sinhalese.

He served as U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka from 1995 to 1997, serving concurrently as ambassador to the Maldives. In 1998–99, he was chargé d'affaires of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. In 1999, President Clinton nominated Burleigh for the post of ambassador to the Philippines and Palau, but the U.S. Senate never acted upon the nomination, and it was eventually withdrawn.

He is a visiting professor of international affairs at the University of Miami.