Biography.guide
Home › People › Diplomat › Stephen W. Bosworth
Portrait of Stephen W. Bosworth

Stephen W. Bosworth

1939 – 2016

Former Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and a United States diplomat

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Stephen W. Bosworth

Lived 1939 – 2016 (aged 76). Stephen W. Bosworth was an American diplomat, university teacher, academic administrator and ambassador.

Stephen Warren Bosworth (December 4, 1939 – January 4, 2016) was an American academic and diplomat. He served as Dean of The Fletcher School at Tufts University and served as United States Special Representative for North Korea Policy from March 2009 to October 2011. He served three times as a U.S. Ambassador, to Tunisia (1979–1981), to the Philippines (1984–1987), and to South Korea (1997–2001). In 1987, he received the American Academy of Diplomacy's Diplomat of the Year Award.

In February 2009, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named Bosworth a Special Representative for North Korea policy.

Early life and education Bosworth was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1939. He graduated with a B.A. in international relations (1961) and an honorary doctorate (1986) from Dartmouth College. He was also a graduate student at George Washington University. He has two brothers, Brian Bosworth (head of the corporation FutureWorks) and Barry Bosworth (involved in advertisement).

Private career Ambassador Bosworth (left) and Mrs. Bosworth (far right) with Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos in Leyte in October 1984. Prior to 1984, his previous foreign service assignments include Paris, Madrid, Panama City, and Washington, D.C. where he was the State Department's Director of Policy Planning, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for inter-American affairs, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Affairs.

He was a member of the International Board of Advisers for the President of the Philippines, and also a member of the boards of International Textile Group and Franklin Templeton Investment Trust Management Co. (Korea). He was a member of the Trilateral Commission.

At times he held teaching and oversight positions at various colleges and universities: Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (1990–1994); Linowitz Chair of International Studies, Hamilton College (1993); Trustee, Dartmouth College (1992–2002), Chairman of Board of Trustees, (1996–1999).

Personal life Bosworth was married to Sandra De Puit, with whom he had a son and a daughter, but ended in a divorce. From 1984 until his death in 2016, he was married to Christine Holmes, from whom he had two stepchildren.

Death On January 4, 2016, Bosworth died at the age of 76 due to pancreatic cancer in Boston, Massachusetts.

Writings

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Dartmouth College, George Washington University
Positions held
Ambassador
Employers
The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Columbia University, United States Department of State, Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization
Awards
Annenberg Award for Excellence in Diplomacy; Order of the Rising Sun
Also known as
Stephen Warren Bosworth

People in Stephen W. Bosworth's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Stephen W. Bosworth's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Stephen W. Bosworth?

former Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and a United States diplomat (1939–2016)

When was Stephen W. Bosworth born?

Stephen W. Bosworth was born on 4 December 1939 in Grand Rapids.

When did Stephen W. Bosworth die?

Stephen W. Bosworth died on 3 January 2016 in Boston.

What was Stephen W. Bosworth's occupation?

Stephen W. Bosworth was a diplomat, university teacher, academic administrator and ambassador.

What nationality was Stephen W. Bosworth?

Stephen W. Bosworth was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Stephen W. Bosworth

· Wikidata: Q488066

· DBpedia: Stephen W. Bosworth

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Stephen W. Bosworth. https://biography.guide/stephen-w-bosworth/

MLA: "Stephen W. Bosworth." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/stephen-w-bosworth/.

Chicago: "Stephen W. Bosworth." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/stephen-w-bosworth/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:19 UTC