96 MAY-JUNE 2026 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL that does not rely on appropriated tax dollars and that helps locally employed staff at our embassies during times of crisis. In lieu of flowers, a gift may be made to this important relief fund in her memory (https://www.pay.gov/public/ form/start/55081682/). A memorial for Carolyn Jacobs will take place on July 10, 2026, at 3 p.m. EDT, at the American Foreign Service Association, 2101 E Street NW, Washington DC 20037. Please check Carolyn’s Facebook page as we get closer to the memorial date for instructions to join the service virtually. n James Alcorn Knight, 77, a retired Foreign Service officer and two-time ambassador, passed away peacefully in his sleep on February 9, 2026, at his home in East Tennessee. On September 7, 1948, Mr. Knight was born James Crosby Little III in Fayette, Ala., to James Crosby Little Jr. (aka Kimo Charteris Vian-Courtenay) and Perry Nell Carraway (Knight). At age 11, he was adopted by Roy A. Knight. Mr. Knight earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in anthropology from Wichita State University. In 1970 he was commissioned in the U.S. Army through the Wichita State University ROTC program. Mr. Knight served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army and as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve. He fought in Vietnam and was awarded several decorations, including the Bronze Star. He believed deeply that all able-bodied citizens should serve their country in some capacity. After military service, Mr. Knight earned a doctorate in anthropology at the University of Chicago. There he met his soulmate and the love of his life, Amelia Rector Bell. In 1983 the couple married in Paris, where they began an incredible partnership that would last 43 years. Both loved visiting foreign lands and getting to know people of different cultures. They especially enjoyed Paris and participating in the Parisian lifestyle. During his studies, Mr. Knight developed a deep appreciation for the people and cultures of Africa and a desire to serve his nation on that continent. Before joining the Foreign Service in 1991, Mr. Knight worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development in Niger and undertook academic research in Cameroon. He was fluent in French and Portuguese and a member of American Mensa. His early Foreign Service assignments include overseas postings in Nigeria, The Gambia, Madagascar, and Ethiopia, as well as service as desk officer in the Office of East African Affairs. Mr. Knight subsequently served as deputy chief of mission in both Cabo Verde and Angola, a provincial reconstruction team leader in Iraq, and director of the Office of East African Affairs in Washington, D.C. In 2009 he was appointed U.S. ambassador to Benin. He then served as assistant chief of mission at U.S. Embassy Baghdad from 2012 to 2014, when he was named U.S. ambassador to Chad, his final assignment. During his Foreign Service career, Ambassador Knight received numerous awards, including the Secretary’s Career Achievement Award, multiple Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards, Senior Foreign Service Performance Awards, and the Expeditionary Service Award. He retired in 2016. The Knights built their retirement home, KnightOaks, in East Tennessee and enjoyed blissful years amid the mountains, lakes, and cultures of their beloved state. Amb. Knight is survived by his loving wife, Amelia Rector Bell Knight, PhD, and his children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren. The family requests that remembrances be made in the form of donations to one or both of the following organizations: the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, 1530 Wilson Blvd., Suite 550, Arlington VA 22209 (https:// www.vvmf.org) or the National Infantry Museum Foundation, 1775 Legacy Way, Suite 220, Columbus GA 31903-3675 (https://nationalinfantrymuseum.org). n William Bryant Milam, 89, a retired Foreign Service officer and threetime ambassador, died peacefully in his sleep on February 17, 2026, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Born on July 24, 1936, in Bisbee, Ariz., to Burl Vivian Milam and Alice Vera (née Pierce) Milam, he was the eldest of four brothers. In 1956, inspired by his uncle, newspaperman Ardle Pierce, Mr. Milam entered Stanford University intending to become a journalist. But a dynamic professor of modern European history, Gordon Wright, piqued his interest in history and the U.S. Foreign Service. After graduating from Stanford in 1959 with a BA in history, he joined the Foreign Service in 1962. Mr. Milam’s first posting was a consular tour in Martinique. He was then assigned to Monrovia as an economic officer. The Foreign Service Institute’s new economic training course inspired him to pursue more advanced university economic studies. He served next as an economic desk officer for the African Northwest Country Directorate, working mainly on Mali, and then earned an MA in economics from the University of Michigan.
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