Robert B. Oakley

Robert Bigger Oakley (March 12, 1931 – December 10, 2014) is an American diplomat. He was a Foreign Service Officer. He was United States Ambassador to Zaire, Somalia, and Pakistan. In the early 1990s, he was a special envoy during the American involvement in Somalia under the Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush presidencies.

Robert B. Oakley
Robert Oakley in Somalia in 1993
19th U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan
In office 18 August 1988 – 29 August 1991
President	Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	Arnold Lewis Raphel
Succeeded by	Nicholas Platt
U.S. Ambassador to Somalia
In office 30 September 1982 – 12 August 1984
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Donald K. Petterson
Succeeded by	Peter Bridges
U.S. Ambassador to Zaire
In office 06 November 1979 – 22 August 1982
President	Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Walter L. Cutler
Succeeded by	Peter Dalton Constable
Personal details
Born	Robert Bigger Oakley (1931-03-12)March 12, 1931 Dallas, Texas, United States
Died	December 10, 2014(2014-12-10) (aged 83) McLean, Virginia, United States
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Phyllis E. Oakley ​ ​ (m. 1958⁠–⁠2014)​ (his death)
Alma mater	South Kent School

Oakley died in McLean, Virginia from complications from Parkinson's disease, aged 83.

Other websites

• Adapted from: State Department biography Archived 2008-04-12 at the Wayback Machine (public domain)
• Mississippi State University: Biography of Robert B. Oakley Archived 2006-09-20 at the Wayback Machine
• The Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training; Interview of Robert B. Oakley by Charles Kennedy and Thomas Stern; July 7, 1992.