The Foreign Service Journal, June 2009

78 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 9 Edwin Melville Adams Jr. , 94, a re- tired FSO, died on Oct. 17, 2008, of lymphoma at Falcon’s Landing, a re- tirement community in Potomac Falls, Va. Mr. Adams was born in Gridley, Ill. He attended the University of Illinois, receiving a bachelor’s degree in politi- cal science and drama in 1936 and a law degree in 1939. He worked in the private sector from 1939 until 1942, when he joined the State Department’s World Trade Intelligence Division. In 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving first as a gunnery officer in the Pacific theater and then as an at- torney terminating industrial contracts. In 1946, he returned to the State Department as a legal attaché to the Allied Commission, uncovering Nazi assets hidden in bank accounts in Switzerland and other neutral coun- tries. Later, as embassy counselor in Rome, he negotiated treaties for air and naval base sites, including Aviano Air Force Base and Sigonella Naval Base, which are still in operation. Mr. Williams held various positions in international economics and admin- istration in Washington, finishing his career in 1969 as special assistant to the deputy under secretary of State and as- sociate dean of the Foreign Service In- stitute. Following his retirement from the Foreign Service, Mr. Williams turned to acting, a career he had considered years before, during his final year in law school. He hosted radio and tel- evision shows in Hollywood, appeared in commercials for Ford and Four Seasons Hotels, and was the writer for an NBC series, “Venice, My Love.” He appeared in 24 movies, usually cast as a congressman, banker, doctor or priest. He also wrote poetry; a novel, Petty Destiny (Xlibris, 2004); and memoirs to be published posthu- mously. There are no immediate survivors. Hazel Briggs , 92, a retired FSO, died on Dec. 27, 2008, in St. Augus- tine, Fla., of natural causes. Ms. Briggs was a native of Wyoming and graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle. Until 1942 she worked for private industry in Wyom- ing and South Dakota. Shortly after the start of World War II, she went to work for the Department of the Navy in Seattle and, later, for the Depart- ment of the Army’s Signal Corps in Seattle. Following the end of the war, she was employed by the Department of State and later was integrated into the Foreign Service. She served in Toron- to, Aruba, Iceland and Hong Kong. After retiring in 1966, Ms. Briggs set- tled in Rockport, Mass., later moving to St. Augustine. Ms. Briggs leaves no immediate rel- atives. Donations may be made in her memory to Best Friends Animal Sanc- tuary, in Kanab, Utah, at www.best friends.org. Vincent William Brown , 84, a re- tired FSO with USAID, died on March 11 in Laguna Hills, Calif., sur- rounded by his family, after a pro- longed struggle with heart disease. A native of San Francisco and a vet- eran of the submarine service in the Pacific Theater in World War II, Mr. Brown held a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Uni- versity of California at Los Angeles and was a graduate fellow in international relations at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Mr. Brown was a pioneer in the field of economic development. Be- ginning as a project manager in the Marshall Plan in Paris after WorldWar II, he devoted his career to managing U.S. assistance programs in Tunisia, the Congo, South Korea and Pakistan. His last posting — from 1972 to 1977 I N M EMORY