William A. Crawford

William Avery Crawford (January 14, 1915 – December 14, 2001) was an American diplomat who served as the last Minister and first United States Ambassador to Romania, from 1962 to 1965. Early life and education Crawford was born on January 14, 1915; the son of John Raymond Crawford, a professor of Greek and Latin at Lafayette College, and Pauline Avery. Educated abroad in France, he studied at Haverford College, and went abroad to Spain during the Spanish Civil War. He graduated in 1936 with a Bachelor of Arts. He later studied at the Russian Institute, now known as the Harriman Institute, at Columbia University. After graduation, Crawford worked at a department store before joining the diplomatic corps.