Michael Anthony Samuels

1939 - 2022

SAMUELS

MICHAEL ANTHONY SAMUELS 1939 - 2022

Michael Anthony Samuels, a two-time U.S. Ambassador and pillar of the African policy and trade policy communities, passed away unexpectedly but peacefully the evening of August 8, 2022, of a likely cardiac event. He was 83. Michael, also known as Mike, leaves behind an extraordinarily broad community of family, friends, classmates, former students, and mentees, all of whom he loved dearly.



In recent days, friends have variously described him as wise, caring, genuine, humble, and – in the words of one of his former students who became a cherished friend for 60 years – an irreplaceable colossus.



In a career that he often proudly described as peripatetic, there were many consistent through-lines: a commitment to public service, to diplomatic engagement, to African affairs, and to free trade. He wrote or edited more than a dozen books and over 50 articles and chapters on those very topics.



Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, to parents Lou and Myrrel, Michael enjoyed a loving childhood. His experiences at Camp Nebagamon, a boys' camp in northern Wisconsin, expanded his worldview beyond Youngstown and laid the foundation for a life that knew no boundaries. He graduated from Rayen High School, where he excelled in the classroom and was a nationally ranked debater.



A first-generation college student, Michael attended Yale University, graduating as a proud member of the Class of 1961. At Yale, his horizons further expanded, and he explored a range of fields of study, from engineering to architecture to art history, before graduating with a major in American Studies, with a focus on history. During his time at Yale – and in the 60-plus years that followed – he built friendships with classmates that he maintained for the rest of his life.



After a year in the U.K. earning a master's degree, Michael started his first job as a secondary school teacher at Government College Katsana Ala in a remote village in what is now Benue State in northern Nigeria. That experience ignited a lifelong commitment to Africa, through research, diplomacy, trade counsel, and more.



Soon after returning from Nigeria, Michael enrolled at Columbia University, earning a PhD in African Studies in 1968, with a dissertation that led to his first book, Education in Angola, 1878-1914: A History of Culture, Transfer, and Administration. One of his cherished later-life experiences took place when the book was reissued 40 years later and he was invited back to Angola to present reflections and observations from his research – in Portuguese.



In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Michael served in appointed positions in government, primarily at the State Department, where, among other roles, he worked as the chief aide to then-Deputy Secretary of State Kenneth Rush and later moved with him to the White House when Rush was appointed Counsellor to the President for Economic Policy. During that same period, he met and married his wife Susan, and their son Joel was born.



In early 1975, at the age of 35, Michael was appointed and confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone. He was then, and remains today, one of the youngest ambassadors in U.S. history. He embraced his role, travelling across the country regularly, and was most proud of the groundwork he laid to ensure the preservation of Bunce Island, memorializing its place in the history of the slave trade. So impactful was his time as ambassador, that, decades later, he was still remembered and contacted by Sierra Leonean leaders and lay people, both in-country and across the diaspora.



Upon his return to Washington, Michael started the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (then affiliated with Georgetown University) and later became the Executive Director for what was then known as Third World Studies at CSIS. From there, he became the Vice President-International at the United States Chamber of Commerce, serving as the organization's senior international executive and principal spokesperson on international economic policy issues.



During this period back in Washington, Michael was directly involved in the efforts that culminated in the creation of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and he served as founder and chief executive officer of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). These were two of his most treasured achievements.



In 1986, he was appointed and confirmed as Deputy United States Trade Representative (USTR) and U.S. Ambassador to the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), where he was responsible for the development of U.S. trade policy and for implementing and negotiating that policy in Geneva. He was also directly involved in early negotiations on the Uruguay Round, which ultimately led to the creation of the World Trade Organization. Many credited him as being one of the first and most outspoken advocates for the creation of a separate Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa.



Upon his return to Washington from Geneva, he shifted to the private sector. In 1991, Michael founded Samuels International Associates (SIA), a consulting firm specializing in understanding and solving government-related problems for clients – particularly in the areas of international trade and other economic affairs. Over the next 20-plus years, he provided advice on trade matters to governments and companies in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, most notably the Government of Angola, which he saw as a full circle return in his life. For all of the accomplishments at SIA, his greatest pride was in the team and culture he built there, alongside his business partner Andrew Durant.



After his time as Deputy USTR ended, and with the support of the U.S. Government, Michael became a trusted advisor to the Vietnamese Government, delivering the first lecture on the GATT to senior officials in Hanoi and helping them to negotiate their entry into the organization. Vietnam has been a shining economic success over the past two decades, and Michael played an important role at the start.



Michael served on the boards of many organizations over the years, including Youth for Understanding, the Overseas Education Fund for the League of Women Voters, CIPE, the Harold Rosenthal Fellowship in International Relations for the American Jewish Committee, and St. Patrick's School (where his service as a Board member during a period of institutional turmoil led him to be indirectly described as a one-man cabal in a Washington Post article that he kept framed in his office, largely because he enjoyed noting how rare it is to find a one-man cabal!). He was a longtime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Metropolitan Club, and the somewhat more obscure Rathkamp Matchcover Society.



Outside of his professional life, Michael was a collector at heart, with two very different but particularly treasured collections that occupied pride of place in his home – African art and matchcovers. From his first visit to Nigeria in 1961, he developed a passion for and deep knowledge of African art, particularly art from Sierra Leone and Nigeria. He delighted in showing friends and visitors the collection, piece by piece, remembering the history and function of each. Juxtaposed to the art collection, Michael was an avid phillumenist in categories ranging from WWII history to counterterrorism to DC history, CCC camps, Big Boy restaurants, and more.



As passionate as he was about these collections, ultimately Michael was defined by the relationships he built and sustained. He was a great listener; when he was with you, he gave you his total focus. And, when he did not agree, he would explain why. Disagreements never interfered with his friendships.



For all of his many friendships, there was none like the one he shared with his son Joel. When Joel was in 5th grade, he joined Michael on a business trip to South Africa and Brazil, igniting a lifelong love of travel together. Those travels included many family trips across Europe and Africa with Joel and Susan as well as cherished father-son trips in later years. As Joel grew into an adult, he and Michael developed a deep friendship that was truly the most significant one throughout both of their lives. Near the end of his life, Michael's world expanded with the birth of his granddaughter Audrey, who took to him naturally from the first time they saw each other and brought him endless joy.



In his later years, Michael was fortunate to find a life partner in his beloved wife Lena Auerbach Samuels. For much of the past decade, they spent virtually every waking moment together, enjoying life's moments, both big and small. They, too, enjoyed traveling together and had many adventures in recent years. Friends have noted that a day with Michael and Lena was like a day at the beach.



Michael is survived by his wife Lena; his son Joel (co-parent Megan Moore); granddaughter Audrey; brother Bill (Ellen), four nieces and nephews, and a host of non-blood related family from every stage of his life. He was predeceased by his wife, Susan, to whom he was married for more than 40 years.



A memorial service will be held on October 24, 2022, at 2 p.m. at 6th & I (600 I St., NW, proof of vaccination and masks required) with a reception to follow at the Metropolitan Club (jacket and tie required).



In an effort to preserve his memory for the family and in particular his granddaughter, friends are encouraged to send stories, reflections, and photos to

memoriesofmichaelsamuels@gmail.com.



In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Michael's memory to the nonprofit Historic Congressional Cemetery, a vibrant community celebrating past and present, where he will be interred. Donations to Congressional Cemetery can be made online at congressionalcemetery.org or mailed to 1801 E Street SE, Washington, DC 20003.