James Hormel was a philanthropist and the heir to the Hormel Food fortune who became the first openly gay ambassador representing the U.S.
- Died: August 13, 2021 (Who else died on August 13?)
- Details of death: Died at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco at the age of 88.
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Ambassador to Luxembourg
Hormel served as dean of students and director of admissions at the University of Chicago Law School in the 1960s. Later, he became one of the founders of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ advocacy group in the U.S. He was named to the United Nations delegation to the Human Rights Commission in 1996, and in 1997, President Bill Clinton first nominated Hormel ambassador to Luxembourg. But his confirmation was blocked by Republican senators who were concerned about his LGBTQ advocacy and about the possibility of a poor reception of a gay ambassador overseas. Luxembourg, which has laws offering protections for the LGBTQ community, welcomed Hormel as ambassador. As the confirmation process continued to stall, Clinton employed a recess nomination while Congress wasn’t in session, and Hormel became ambassador in 1999, serving until December 2000.
Notable quote
“Imagine the talent that was held back, in the government itself, once the State Department in the late 1940s started outing and going after their gay employees. I’m sure countless people who were quite bright and eager to serve just didn’t even consider going into foreign service.” —from a 2004 interview for the Windy City Times
Tributes to James Hormel
Full obituary: The New York Times
