William Elliott Gonzales Explained

Ambassador From1:United States
Country1:Peru
Term Start1:April 24, 1920
Term End1:October 11, 1921
President1:Woodrow Wilson
Warren G. Harding
Predecessor1:Benton McMillin
Successor1:Miles Poindexter
Ambassador From2:United States
Country2:Cuba
Term Start2:August 9, 1913
Term End2:December 18, 1919
President2:Woodrow Wilson
Predecessor2:Arthur M. Beaupre
Successor2:Boaz W. Long

William Elliott Gonzales (1866 – October 20, 1937) was the United States Ambassador to Cuba from 1913 to 1919 and the United States Ambassador to Peru from 1919 to 1921. He was born to Ambrosio José Gonzales and Harriott Rutledge Elliott. On February 2, 1887, he married Sarah C. Shiver. He served in the U.S. Army during the Spanish–American War.

Sometime between 1909 and 1912, Gonzales was the Editor of The State newspaper and used the paper's reach to help raise $11,000 in private subscriptions for the purposes of erecting the South Carolina Monument to the Women of the Confederacy.[1] The South Carolina General Assembly appropriated another $7,500 for the monument.[2]

He was later the United States Ambassador to Cuba from 1913 to 1919. He was the United States Ambassador to Peru from 1919 to 1921.

He died on October 20, 1937.[3] He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Columbia, South Carolina. The Gonzales Fountain was erected in Arsenal Hill in his memory.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: South Carolina Monument to the Women of the Confederacy Historic Columbia. 2022-01-04. www.historiccolumbia.org.
  2. Web site: South Carolina Monument to the Women of the Confederacy Historic Columbia. 2022-01-04. www.historiccolumbia.org.
  3. News: W. E. Gonzales, 71, Carolina Editor. Publisher of The State Last of Three Brothers Who Built Up Paper in Columbia . . October 21, 1937 . 2011-01-05.
  4. Web site: November 11, 2023 . 18 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201018231123/https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=50955 . The Gonzales Fountain . 2023 . Scott, Brian . live . Historical Marker Database.