Introduction
John Nichol Irwin II (December 31, 1913 – February 28, 2000) was a United States diplomat and attorney during the Cold War. During World War II, he served in the Army in the Pacific as a member of General Douglas MacArthur's staff and reached the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Biography
He was born on December 31, 1913 in Keokuk, Iowa.
He was the last person to hold the position of Under Secretary of State when that was the U.S. State Department's second-ranking office (1970-1972). Then, he was the first person to hold the office that replaced Under Secretary: the "Deputy Secretary" of State (1972-1973). In both capacities, his superior was Secretary William P. Rogers. Irwin subsequently served as U.S. Ambassador to France.
He died on February 28, 2000 in New Haven, Connecticut.