James Knight

1948 - 2026

Retired Ambassador James Alcorn Knight, 77, departed this earth peacefully in his sleep on February 9, 2026. Ambassador Knight's legacy includes a distinguished career of service to the United States of America and a lifelong love of foreign countries, travel, and diverse cultures.



Ambassador Knight was born James Crosby Little III in Fayette, Alabama on September 7, 1948, to James Crosby Little Jr. (a.k.a., Kimo Charteris Vian-Courtenay) and Perry Nell Carraway (Knight). At age 11, James was adopted by Roy A. Knight. He is survived by his loving wife Dr. (PhD) Amelia Rector Bell Knight and his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.



James began his service to our nation in 1970 when he was commissioned in the U.S. Army through the Wichita State University ROTC program as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry. Over the course of his military service, he fought in Vietnam and was awarded several decorations, including the Bronze Star. James deeply believed that all able-bodied citizens should serve their country in some capacity.

After his military service, Ambassador Knight pursued a degree in Anthropology and received his PhD from the University of Chicago. During the course of his studies, he developed a deep love for the people and cultures of Africa. This instilled in him the desire to serve his nation on the African continent.



James met his soulmate and the love of his life, Amelia Rector Bell Knight, while attending The University of Chicago. They were married in Paris in 1983 and thus began an incredible 43-year marriage and partnership. Both James and Amelia loved visiting foreign lands and getting to know people of different cultures. They especially enjoyed Paris and participating in the Parisian lifestyle.

James served as the U.S. Ambassador to Chad and to Benin, and Assistant Chief of Mission for U.S. Embassy Baghdad. He was a Team Leader of the Ninewa Provencial Reconstruction Team based in Mosul, Iraq, and Deputy Chief of Mission in Cape Verde and Angola. Ambassador Knight's earlier Foreign Service assignments include Director of the State Department's Bureau of African Affairs in Washington and U.S. Embassies in Madagascar, The Gambia, Nigeria and Ethiopia. Before the Foreign Service, Ambassador 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.

During his Foreign Service career he 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.



Following his final assignment as Ambassador to Chad, James and Amelia built their retirement home (KnightOaks) in East Tennessee where they enjoyed years of blissful love, and the mountains, lakes and cultures of their beloved state.



Ambassador Knight will be interred at a private family service in the Oak Ridge Memorial Park at a future date.



Ambassador Knight's family requests that remembrances be made in the form of donations to one or both of the following organizations:



The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF)

1530 Wilson Blvd., Suite 550, Arlington, VA 22209

https://www.vvmf.org



The National Infantry Museum Foundation

1775 Legacy Way, Suite 220, Columbus, GA 31903-3675 https://nationalinfantrymuseum.org



Click Funeral Home, Lenoir City is in charge of arrangements. clickfuneralhome.com