# Jeane Kirkpatrick

> American diplomat and Presidential advisor (1926-2006)

**Wikidata**: [Q240534](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q240534)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeane_Kirkpatrick)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/jeane-kirkpatrick

## Summary
Jeane Kirkpatrick was a prominent American diplomat, political scientist, and presidential advisor renowned for her role as the first female U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (1981–1985) under President Ronald Reagan. A leading figure in 20th-century U.S. foreign policy, she advocated for staunch anti-communism and shaped Reagan’s diplomatic strategies, particularly in Latin America.

## Biography
- **Born**: November 19, 1926  
- **Nationality**: United States  
- **Education**:  
  - Barnard College (B.A., 1948)  
  - Columbia University (M.A., 1950; Ph.D. in political science, 1958)  
  - Sciences Po (postgraduate studies)  
- **Known for**: Pioneering work in political science, ambassadorship to the UN, and advising President Reagan.  
- **Employer(s)**:  
  - Barnard College (faculty, 1957–1981)  
  - Columbia University (faculty)  
  - Georgetown University (faculty)  
  - American Enterprise Institute (senior fellow)  
- **Field(s)**: Diplomacy, political science, foreign policy  

## Contributions
- **Academic Work**: Authored *Dictatorships and Double Standards* (1979), a seminal essay critiquing U.S. foreign policy toward authoritarian regimes.  
- **Diplomatic Leadership**: Served as U.S. Ambassador to the UN (1981–1985), where she defended Reagan’s policies and opposed Soviet expansionism.  
- **Policy Influence**: Advised Reagan on Cold War strategy, emphasizing support for anti-communist movements in Nicaragua and El Salvador.  
- **Publications**: Wrote extensively on political theory and international relations, including *The Reagan Doctrine* (1985).  

## FAQs
**What was Jeane Kirkpatrick’s most notable role?**  
She served as the first female U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (1981–1985), where she championed Reagan’s anti-communist agenda.  

**Where did she work in academia?**  
She taught at Barnard College (1957–1981), Columbia University, and Georgetown University, focusing on political science and international relations.  

**What awards did she receive?**  
She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985), the Library of Congress Living Legend Award, and the Francis Boyer Award for public policy contributions.  

**What was her political philosophy?**  
She criticized moral equivalency between democratic and totalitarian regimes, arguing for pragmatic support of anti-communist governments despite authoritarian flaws.  

## Why They Matter
Jeane Kirkpatrick redefined U.S. foreign policy discourse during the Cold War, bridging academia and diplomacy to advance Reagan’s strategy of “peace through strength.” Her “dictatorships and double standards” thesis justified U.S. alliances with non-democratic regimes opposing Soviet influence, shaping interventions in Latin America and beyond. Her academic rigor and political influence endure as a model for scholar-practitioners in international relations.

## Notable For
- First female U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (1981–1985).  
- Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985).  
- Author of the influential essay *Dictatorships and Double Standards* (1979).  
- Key architect of the Reagan Doctrine, supporting anti-communist insurgencies globally.  
- Inductee into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame and recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal.  

## Body
### Early Life and Education  
Jeane Jordan Kirkpatrick was born on November 19, 1926, in Duncan, Oklahoma. She earned a B.A. from Barnard College (1948), an M.A. from Columbia University (1950), and a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia (1958), with additional studies at Sciences Po in Paris.  

### Academic Career  
Kirkpatrick taught political science at Barnard College for nearly 25 years (1957–1981) and later at Columbia and Georgetown universities. Her scholarship focused on comparative government and totalitarian regimes, culminating in her seminal 1979 essay *Dictatorships and Double Standards*, which critiqued U.S. foreign policy for holding allies to unrealistic democratic standards.  

### Diplomatic Service  
Appointed by President Reagan as U.S. Ambassador to the UN (1981–1985), Kirkpatrick became a vocal advocate for anti-communist policies. She defended Reagan’s support for the Contras in Nicaragua and opposed Soviet-backed regimes, famously denouncing the “moral blindness” of equating democratic and totalitarian states.  

### Political Advisement  
As a member of Reagan’s “Kitchen Cabinet,” Kirkpatrick advised on Cold War strategy, emphasizing the distinction between authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. Her work influenced the Reagan Doctrine, which backed anti-communist movements worldwide, notably in Afghanistan and Nicaragua.  

### Legacy and Honors  
After retiring from diplomacy, Kirkpatrick joined the American Enterprise Institute as a senior fellow and continued writing on foreign policy. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985), the Library of Congress Living Legend Award, and induction into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame. Her defense of principled realism remains a cornerstone of conservative foreign policy discourse.  

### Awards and Recognition  
- **Presidential Medal of Freedom** (1985)  
- **Library of Congress Living Legend Award** (2000)  
- **Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame** (1982)  
- **Francis Boyer Award** for public policy contributions  
- **Defense Superior Service Medal** (U.S. Armed Forces)  

### Publications and Influence  
Kirkpatrick’s writings, including *The Reagan Doctrine* (1985) and *Dictatorships and Double Standards*, remain foundational texts in political science. Her ideas continue to shape debates on U.S. interventionism and the morality of foreign policy, with critics arguing her pragmatism sometimes overlooked human rights abuses by U.S. allies.

## References

1. [Encyclopædia Britannica Online](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jeane-Kirkpatrick)
2. BnF authorities
3. [Source](https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47639)
4. [Jeane Kirkpatrick - Living Legends. Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/about/awards-and-honors/living-legends/jeane-kirkpatrick/)
5. [Source](https://library.okstate.edu/search-and-find/collections/digital-collections/oklahoma-womens-hall-of-fame/inductees)
6. [Source](http://www.aei.org/events/seriesID.8/series_detail.asp)
7. International Standard Name Identifier
8. Integrated Authority File
9. SNAC
10. Find a Grave
11. Discogs
12. Munzinger Personen
13. [Jeane Kirkpatrick, UN ambassador under Reagan, dies at 80  - Americas - International Herald Tribune. 2006](http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/08/america/web.1208obits.php?page=2)
14. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
15. Virtual International Authority File
16. Quora