Jack Vaughn - Ambassador To Colombia

Ambassador To Colombia

When Richard Nixon became president in 1969, Vaughn found himself out of a job. One report says that Vaughn was asked by Nixon's Secretary of State William P. Rogers to stay on as Peace Corps director to emphasize the nonpolitical nature of the Peace Corps. Instead, Vaughn was informed in March, 1969, that he would be replaced after all and reports that Vaughn had been asked to stay on as Peace Corps Director in the Nixon administration were reported in the media to be untrue. "I was the first bureaucrat Nixon fired when he took office," Vaughn said. "But when he found out I was a Republican, he asked me if I'd be his ambassador to Colombia."

On May 2, 1969, President Nixon announced the appointment of Vaughn as Ambassador to Colombia. No major diplomatic initiatives took place with Colombia during Vaughn's ambassadorship there. Vaughn saw his role more as a "good will ambassador" and made many efforts to help the United States be seen in a positive light. For example, while Ambassador to Colombia, Vaughn, a former boxer, refereed boxing matches for the flyweight, lightweight, and middleweight finals in the Colombian National amateur championships held in Cartagena. Vaughn held a license to referee professional fights in the United States and so as a courtesy, Colombia granted Vaughn a reciprocal license to referee in Colombia. Vaughn noted that one difference from the United States is that the referee in Colombia is not allowed to touch the fighters when calling on them to break a clinch. Vaughn stopped the lightweight match with only 41 seconds to go in the final round to have a doctor examine a cut over one figher's eye and the fight was stopped. Vaughn is said to be the only US diplomat to referee a fight while serving as Ambassador and declared that he was much impressed with the caliber of the fighters in Colombia.

Vaughn announced his resignation as Ambassador to Colombia on June 11, 1970 to return to private life. It was reported in the New York Times that Vaughn was leaving because he was in disagreement with Nixon's Latin American policies. However, a State Department spokesman said the Vaughn was resigning "for personal reasons" adding that "There is no disagreement over policy."