Philip Mayer Kaiser
- May 24, 2007
- 93 years
- pneumonia
About Philip Mayer Kaiser
Philip Mayer Kaiser, 93, American diplomat, ambassador to Senegal and Mauritania, Hungary, and Austria, pneumonia.
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Full Biography
|Philip Mayer Kaiser (July 12, 1913 – May 24, 2007) was an American diplomat.
Education
Born in New York City, Kaiser graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1935. He was also a Rhodes Scholar in 1936 at Balliol College, Oxford. During this time, he studied labor history.
Family
Philip was the second youngest of ten children. His father, Moishe Bear, emigrated from what is now Ukraine with his mother, Tema. The family lived in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. On June 16, 1939, Philip Kaiser married Hannah Greeley. They had three sons: Robert, David, and Charles.
Government service
Kaiser served in the United States Department of Labor as Assistant Secretary of Labor for International Affairs, during the administration of President Harry S. Truman. He was a special assistant to Governor Averell Harriman of New York from 1955 to 1959.
Later during the administration of President John F. Kennedy, Kaiser was ambassador to Senegal and Mauritania. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he persuaded the President of Senegal, Léopold Sédar Senghor, to deny the Soviet Union landing rights to refuel its planes. From 1964 to 1969, he was the American Minister to the Court of St. James, or DCM of the American Embassy in London, when David K. E. Bruce was the American Ambassador there. Many of the leading British political figures of the period, including Ted Heath and Roy Jenkins, had been Kaiser's friends when he studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Balliol College, Oxford, from 1936 to 1939. While he was Minister, he entertained Groucho Marx, Robert F. Kennedy, and Richard Nixon, among many other famous cultural and political figures. He lived at Wychwood House, his official American residence on Cottesmore Gardens in Kensington.
Finally, during the administration of Jimmy Carter, Philip Kaiser served as ambassador to Hungary. While ambassador to Hungary, Philip Kaiser was instrumental in the return of the Crown of St. Stephen to the Hungarian government from the United States in 1978. After serving as ambassador to Austria, Philip Kaiser retired from government service in 1981. In 2000, Kaiser was one of three alumni of the Truman Administration who persuaded Congress to pass a law that changed the name of the headquarters of the State Department to the Harry S. Truman building. Of the four Democratic presidents Kaiser worked for, Truman was his favorite, because he was "the closest to a normal human being."
Published works
- Kaiser, Philip, Journeying Far and Wide—A Political and Diplomatic Memoir, (1993).
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Mayer_Kaiser
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Philip Mayer Kaiser's archived record and the sources above.
1.In which city was Philip Mayer Kaiser born?
- A.Madison
- B.London
- C.Brooklyn
- D.New York Citycorrect
Philip Mayer Kaiser was born in New York City on July 12, 1913.
Source: Education section
2.What subject did Philip Mayer Kaiser study as a Rhodes Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford?
- A.Labor historycorrect
- B.Political science
- C.Ancient history
- D.Diplomatic relations
While at Balliol College in 1936, Philip Mayer Kaiser studied labor history.
Source: Education section
3.How many children were in Philip Mayer Kaiser's family?
- A.Four
- B.Tencorrect
- C.Twelve
- D.Eight
Philip Mayer Kaiser was the second youngest of ten children in his family.
Source: Family section
4.Who was Philip Mayer Kaiser's wife?
- A.Elizabeth Heath
- B.Tema Bear
- C.Hannah Greeleycorrect
- D.Mary Truman
Philip Mayer Kaiser married Hannah Greeley on June 16, 1939.
Source: Family section
5.Philip Mayer Kaiser served as the Assistant Secretary of Labor during which president's administration?
- A.Franklin D. Roosevelt
- B.John F. Kennedy
- C.Jimmy Carter
- D.Harry S. Trumancorrect
Philip Mayer Kaiser served in the U.S. Department of Labor during the administration of President Harry S. Truman.
Source: Government service section
6.What action did Philip Mayer Kaiser encourage President Léopold Sédar Senghor to take during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
- A.Deny Soviet landing rightscorrect
- B.Expel Soviet diplomats
- C.Open trade with the U.S.
- D.Support a naval blockade
Philip Mayer Kaiser persuaded the President of Senegal to deny the Soviet Union landing rights to refuel its planes.
Source: Government service section
7.From 1964 to 1969, what role did Philip Mayer Kaiser hold in London?
- A.Secretary of State
- B.American Minister to the Court of St. Jamescorrect
- C.Consul General
- D.Ambassador to the United Kingdom
Philip Mayer Kaiser served as the American Minister to the Court of St. James, also known as the DCM of the American Embassy, from 1964 to 1969.
Source: Government service section
8.Where did Philip Mayer Kaiser live while serving as Minister in London?
- A.The Embassy Apartments
- B.Cottage Garden Estate
- C.Wychwood Housecorrect
- D.Kensington Palace
Philip Mayer Kaiser lived at Wychwood House, his official American residence on Cottesmore Gardens in Kensington.
Source: Government service section
9.Which artifact did Philip Mayer Kaiser help return to Hungary while serving as ambassador?
- A.The Hungarian Throne
- B.Crown of St. Stephencorrect
- C.Hungarian State Archives
- D.Royal Scepter of Hungary
While ambassador to Hungary, Philip Mayer Kaiser was instrumental in returning the Crown of St. Stephen from the United States in 1978.
Source: Government service section
10.In what year did Philip Mayer Kaiser retire from government service?
- A.1981correct
- B.1979
- C.1983
- D.2000
Philip Mayer Kaiser retired from his government service in 1981 after serving as ambassador to Austria.
Source: Government service section
11.Philip Mayer Kaiser considered which president to be his favorite of the four he worked for?
- A.Jimmy Carter
- B.John F. Kennedy
- C.Averell Harriman
- D.Harry S. Trumancorrect
Philip Mayer Kaiser preferred Truman because he was the closest to a normal human being among the presidents he served.
Source: Government service section
12.What is the title of the memoir published by Philip Mayer Kaiser in 1993?
- A.London and Beyond
- B.Journeying Far and Widecorrect
- C.Diplomatic Memoirs
- D.A Life of Service
The memoir published by Philip Mayer Kaiser in 1993 is titled Journeying Far and Wide—A Political and Diplomatic Memoir.
Source: Published works section
13.Which university did Philip Mayer Kaiser graduate from in 1935?
- A.Harvard University
- B.University of Wisconsin–Madisoncorrect
- C.New York University
- D.Oxford University
Philip Mayer Kaiser graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1935.
Source: Education section
14.Who was the American Ambassador to the United Kingdom when Philip Mayer Kaiser served as Minister in London?
- A.David K. E. Brucecorrect
- B.Ted Heath
- C.Averell Harriman
- D.Roy Jenkins
Philip Mayer Kaiser served as Minister in London when David K. E. Bruce was the American Ambassador.
Source: Government service section
15.What official change did Philip Mayer Kaiser help achieve in the year 2000?
- A.Renaming the London embassy
- B.Creating a new Labor Department building
- C.Naming the State Department headquarters after Harry S. Trumancorrect
- D.Establishing a new diplomatic mission in Hungary
In 2000, Philip Mayer Kaiser helped pass a law changing the name of the State Department headquarters to the Harry S. Truman building.
Source: Government service section
16.What was the cause of Philip Mayer Kaiser's death?
- A.Old age
- B.Heart failure
- C.Pneumoniacorrect
- D.Stroke
Philip Mayer Kaiser died from pneumonia at the age of 93.
Source: Biography introduction
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