David Hunt (diplomat) explained

Honorific Prefix:Sir
David Hunt
Birth Date:25 September 1913
Birth Place:Durham, England
Nationality:British
Alma Mater:Wadham College, Oxford
Occupation:Diplomat
Successor2:Norman Costar
Predecessor2:Alec Bishop
Office2:British High Commissioner to Cyprus
Successor1:Leslie Glass
Predecessor1:Francis Cumming-Bruce
Office1:British High Commissioner to Nigeria
Successor:Derek Dodson
Predecessor:John Russell
Office:British Ambassador to Brazil
Battles:World War II
Branch:British Army

Sir David Hunt (25 September 1913  - 30 July 1998) was a British diplomat, perhaps best remembered as winner of the BBC's Mastermind television quiz in 1977.

Life and career

Hunt was born in Durham, and studied at Wadham College, Oxford. He served with distinction in World War II, and entered the diplomatic service in 1947. He served as Private Secretary to prime ministers Clement Attlee and Winston Churchill, and was knighted in 1963. From 1965 to 1967 he was the British High Commissioner to Cyprus.[1]

From 1967 to 1969, he served as High Commissioner to Nigeria. Frederick Forsyth, then a journalist in Nigeria and later a successful novelist, described Hunt as "a snob and a racist"[2] representing the diplomatic corps whose "blithering incompetence" failed to appreciate or deal with the tensions that erupted into the Nigerian Civil War.[3] Forsyth claimed that Hunt was responsible for Britain's complete misreading of the war, contributing to the deaths of millions of Biafrans, particularly starving children.

Subsequently, beginning in 1969, Hunt was British Ambassador to Brazil, retiring in 1973. In 1975, he published On the spot: an ambassador remembers about his tenure in Brazil.

Retirement

Hunt was appointed chairman of the Governors of the Commonwealth Institute in 1973.[4] [5] He joined the board of directors of The Observer around 1977. In addition to writing, Hunt was a frequent reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement. He later served as President of the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies from 1986-1990.[6]

Mastermind

Hunt won the Mastermind title in 1977 and was runner-up in the Mastermind International of 1979.

In 1982, a Champion of Champions tournament among the first ten Mastermind champions was televised. Hunt won the overall title.

Publications

Hunt had a number of books published:

Sources

  1. Web site: 1998-08-10 . Obituary: Sir David Hunt . 2024-07-04 . The Independent . en.
  2. News: Buried for 50 years: Britain's shameful role in the Biafran war Frederick Forsyth. Forsyth. Frederick. 2020-01-21. The Guardian. 2020-01-21. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  3. Forsyth, Frederick (2015). The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue. NY, Putnams
  4. Book: Resignation of Lord Garner and appointment of Sir David Hunt as Chairman of the Board of... . 1973-01-01.
  5. Sir David Hunt on Champion of Champions Mastermind series . 2012-04-12 . JulianDavidHunt . 2024-07-04 . YouTube.
  6. Web site: About Us The Hellenic Journal Study of Greek language . 2024-07-04 . Hellenic Society . en-US.