Thomas F. Stroock Explained

Thomas F. Strook
Occupation:Oil executive
Office:United States Ambassador to Guatemala
Term Start:1989
Term End:1992
Preceded:James H. Michel
Succeeded:Marilyn McAfee
Office2:State Senator from Natrona County, Wyoming
Term Start2:1967
Term End2:1967
Term Start3:1971
Term End3:1974
Term Start4:1979
Term End4:1989
Party:Republican
Birth Date:10 October 1925
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Death Place:Casper, Wyoming, U.S.
Spouse:Marta Stroock
Children:4
Alma Mater:Yale University
Residence:Casper, Wyoming, U.S.
Branch:United States Marine Corps
Battles:World War II

Thomas F. Stroock (October 10, 1925 – December 13, 2009) was an American businessman, ambassador, and a Republican politician from Casper, Wyoming.[1]

Biography

Early life

Born in New York City, Stroock attended Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, alongside future U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush. He was a member of Chi Phi Fraternity. After graduation, he served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and then relocated to Wyoming, where he devoted his remaining years. He was brought to Casper, Wyoming in 1949 by his current employer, the Stanolind Oil and Gas Company.[2]

Career

Upon settling in Casper, he founded several petroleum companies.

He served as a member of the Wyoming State Senate from Natrona County in 1967, from 1971 to 1974, and finally from 1979 to 1989. He was the Senate vice president in 1989.[3] In 1974, he left the state Senate to run unsuccessfully on the GOP ticket for Wyoming's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives, having been defeated by the incumbent Democrat Teno Roncalio.

In 1989, he was named United States Ambassador to Guatemala by his former Yale classmate President Bush. He held that post until 1992.

In 1989, he was named United States Ambassador to Guatemala by his former Yale classmate President Bush.[4] He held that post until 1992. During his time as ambassador, he fought against drug trafficking. He also had to handle the case of the American nun Dianna Ortiz, who had been abducted, raped, and tortured by the Guatemalan military, with possible complicity of the United States, and whose account he was unwilling to accept.

Personal life

He and his wife, Marta, had four daughters. He died on December 13, 2009, at the age of eighty-four.[5]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://wyofile.com/2009/12/tom_stroock_dies/{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}
  2. Web site: Thomas F. Stroock. Casper Star-Tribune Online. en. 2019-02-28.
  3. Web site: Tom Stroock. https://archive.today/20120716135013/http://legisweb.state.wy.us/LegislatorSummary/LegDetail.aspx?Source=H&LegID=386. dead. July 16, 2012. legisweb.state.wy/us. February 24, 2012.
  4. Web site: 27 November 1993 . The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR THOMAS F. STROOCK . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240709174842/https://adst.org/OH%20TOCs/Stroock,%20Thomas%20F.toc.pdf . 9 July 2024 . 5 August 2024 . Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training.
  5. http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_437da26a-e8e6-11de-8703-001cc4c03286.html Former U.S. ambassador, oilman Stroock dies Trib.com