John N. Irwin II

John N. Irwin
United States Ambassador to France
In office March 23, 1973 – October 20, 1974
President	Richard Nixon Gerald Ford
Preceded by	Arthur K. Watson
Succeeded by	Kenneth Rush
1st United States Deputy Secretary of State
In office July 12, 1972 – February 1, 1973
President	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Kenneth Rush
26th United States Under Secretary of State
In office September 21, 1970 – July 12, 1972
President	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	Elliot Richardson
Succeeded by	Himself (as Deputy Secretary)
5th Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
In office October 4, 1958 – January 20, 1961
President	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded by	Mansfield D. Sprague
Succeeded by	Paul Nitze
Personal details
Born	John Nichol Irwin II December 31, 1913 Keokuk, Iowa, U.S.
Died	February 28, 2000(2000-02-28) (aged 86) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Jane Watson ​ ​ (m. 1940; died 1970)​ Jane Reimers ​ (m. 1976)​
Children	John, Jane, Watkins (stepchild), Thomas (stepchild), Carl (stepchild)
Education	Lawrenceville School Princeton University Oxford University Fordham University
Profession	Diplomat Attorney

John Nichol Irwin II (December 31, 1913 – February 28, 2000) was an American 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. After graduating from the Fordham University School of Law, he became an attorney, eventually working as a lawyer at Patterson, Belknap & Webb.

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). In 1972, he became the first person to hold the office of Deputy Secretary of State, which succeeded the office of Under Secretary; he held that office until February 1, 1973.

In both capacities, his superior was Secretary William P. Rogers. Irwin resigned from the position of Deputy Secretary to serve as U.S. Ambassador to France.

In 1973, Irwin bought the Luis Maria Baca Grant No. 5, also known as the O RO Ranch, near Seligman, Arizona, from the Greene Cattle Company. In 1977, Irwin bought the Quien Sabe Ranch near Tres Pinos, California.

He died on February 28, 2000, in New Haven, Connecticut, at the age of 86.