Philip Henry Alston Jr.; Ambassador, Confidant of Carter

Philip Henry Alston Jr., 76, a confidant of former President Jimmy Carter and former ambassador to Australia. An influential Atlanta lawyer, Alston raised millions of dollars for the University of Georgia and began supporting Carter after meeting him in 1966. Carter lost the governor’s race that year to Lester Maddox, but Alston was chairman of Carter’s successful gubernatorial bid in 1970. He was chairman of the Committee for Jimmy Carter when Carter was elected President in 1976. After he was elected, Carter appointed Alston ambassador to Australia. In Atlanta on Wednesday after what was reported only as a “short illness.”