Leonard Åström Explained

Aksel Leonard "Lenna" Åström (7 March 1883 – 16 May 1939) was a Finnish diplomat.

Early life

Åström was born in Oulu. His parents were my sea captain Axel Mikael Åström and Maria Åström. He graduated from the Oulu Swedish Lyceum in 1902 and studied at the University of Helsinki completing Bachelor of Philosophy in 1909 and Mastering in 1910.

Career

Åström was a journalist and shareholder of the Oulu newspaper Kaleva in 1904–1906, as a teacher at the Business College in Kotka in 1910–1916 and in Tampere in 1916–1917, and as a representative of the Tampere Chamber of commerce in 1918.

He served as the Senior Inspector of Trade and Industrial Governance in 1919 and the Trade Policy Department of the Foreign Ministry 1919–1921. This was followed by Åström as Envoy in Washington from 1921 to 1934,^[1] and also as Envoy to Havana from 1929 to 1934.^[2] While in Washington, D.C., he negotiated Finnish debt with Secretary Andrew Mellon.^{[3] [4]}

Åström was an Envoy in The Hague and Brussels from 1938 to 1939. He shot himself in Brussels in May 1939.^{[5] [6] [7]}

Notes and References

1. News: NEW ENVOYS SEE HUGHES.; Szechenyi for Hungary and Astrom for Finland Are Received. . 6 April 2022 . . 6 January 1922.
2. News: TIMES . Wireless to THE NEW YORK . FINNISH ENVOY TO RESIGN.; L.A. Astrom Will Leave Washington for Another Post. . 6 April 2022 . . 4 October 1934.
3. News: Times . Special to The New York . MELLON TAKES UP FINNISH DEBT NEXT; Will Confer With Minister Astrom Today on Terms of Settlement. TOTAL EXCEEDS $9,000,000 Plane for Refunding Great Britain's Obligations Are Expected to Be Completed Next Week. . 6 April 2022 . . 2 March 1923.
4. News: Finland's Athletes Worth $10,000,000 to Her; Prowess Raises Nation's Financial Credit . 6 April 2022 . . 21 January 1925.
5. https://runeberg.org/aikalais/1934/0764.html Aikalaiskirja 1934 (Projekt Runeberg)
6. http://www.helsinki.fi/keskusarkisto/matrikkelit/yomatrikkeli_1900_1907/Ylioppilasmatrikkeli_1900_1902.pdf Ylioppilasmatrikkeli 1902, s. 147
7. https://www.kuvakokoelmat.fi/pictures/view/HK19710831_1 Museoviraston kuvakokoelmat: Ministeri Axel Leonard Åström Washington, DC, U.S.A. lähettiläs Washingtonissa sittemmin Brysselissä (jossa ampui itsensä)