Winthrop Brown; Veteran Diplomat

Winthrop G. Brown, a career diplomat who served as ambassador to Laos and South Korea during the 1960s, has died at age 79.

Brown, who joined the U.S. State Department in 1941 as a trade specialist and had a variety of assignments in Washington, London and India, died at his home Monday. He had Parkinson’s disease.

In 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower named him as ambassador to Laos, where he served until 1962. He then became deputy commandant of the National War College in Washington before being appointed ambassador to South Korea in 1964. He served in Seoul until 1967.

Brown later was a special assistant to Secretary of State Dean Rusk. In 1968, he was named deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs and retired in 1972 with the rank of career ambassador.

In 1963, he received the Presidential Medal for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service for his work in Laos, as well as meritorious and distinguished service awards from the State Department.