| Walter John Stoessel Jr. | |
| Order: | 7th |
| Office: | United States Deputy Secretary of State |
| Term Start: | February 11, 1982 |
| Term End: | September 22, 1982 |
| President: | Ronald Reagan |
| Predecessor: | William P. Clark Jr. |
| Successor: | Kenneth W. Dam |
| Office1: | United States Secretary of State |
| Status1: | Ad interim |
| Term Start1: | July 5, 1982 |
| Term End1: | July 16, 1982 |
| President1: | Ronald Reagan |
| Predecessor1: | Alexander Haig |
| Successor1: | George P. Shultz |
| Ambassador From2: | United States |
| Country2: | West Germany |
| Term Start2: | October 27, 1976 |
| Term End2: | January 5, 1981 |
| Nominator2: | Gerald Ford |
| Predecessor2: | Martin J. Hillenbrand |
| Successor2: | Arthur F. Burns |
| Ambassador From3: | United States |
| Country3: | the Soviet Union |
| Term Start3: | March 4, 1974 |
| Term End3: | September 13, 1976 |
| Nominator3: | Gerald Ford |
| Predecessor3: | Jacob D. Beam |
| Successor3: | Malcolm Toon |
| Office4: | 9th Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs |
| Term Start4: | August 9, 1972 |
| Term End4: | January 7, 1974 |
| President4: | Richard Nixon |
| 1Blankname4: | Secretary |
| 1Namedata4: | William P. Rogers Henry Kissinger |
| Predecessor4: | Martin J. Hillenbrand |
| Successor4: | Arthur A. Hartman |
| Ambassador From5: | United States |
| Country5: | Poland |
| Term Start5: | September 12, 1968 |
| Term End5: | August 5, 1972 |
| Nominator5: | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Predecessor5: | John A. Gronouski |
| Successor5: | Richard T. Davies |
| Birth Date: | 24 January 1920 |
| Birth Place: | Manhattan, Kansas, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Profession: | Diplomat |
| Alma Mater: | Stanford University Columbia University |
| Office6: | 11th Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs |
| Term Start6: | February 28, 1981 |
| Term End6: | January 26, 1982 |
| Preceded6: | David D. Newsom |
| Succeeded6: | Lawrence Eagleburger |
Walter John Stoessel Jr. (January 24, 1920 – December 9, 1986) was an American diplomat.
Born in Manhattan, Kansas, Stoessel was the son of Katherine (Haston) and Walter John Stoessel Sr. and graduated from Beverly Hills High School in California. The paternal side of his family had migrated to the United States from western Germany in the middle of 19th century. He graduated from Stanford University in 1941 and later undertook graduate studies at Columbia University.
A career officer of the United States Foreign Service, Stoessel served as the U.S. ambassador to Poland from 1968 to 1972, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs from 1972 to 1974, the U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union between 1974 and 1976, and the ambassador to West Germany from 1976 through 1980. During his term as ambassador to Poland, Stoessel initiated contact with China and hosted talks on behalf of the United States, directly opening the door for President Richard Nixon's famous visit to China.[1] In 1981, while ambassador to West Germany, he joined the delegation, with Walter Mondale, greeting the U.S. hostages released by Iran when they deplaned.[2]
In 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Stoessel as the United States Deputy Secretary of State. During his term he served briefly as acting Secretary of State between the tenures of Alexander M. Haig and George P. Shultz.
He died in Washington, D.C., of leukemia[3] and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The U.S. Department of State awards a Walter J. Stoessel Award for Distinguished Diplomatic Service in his honor.