Ambassador John H. Holdridge
In Memoriam

Dear MCBC Members and Friends:

 I am saddened to report that that our friend Ambassador John H. Holdridge, 76, died on July 12, 2001.  Over the past several years, John devoted significant energies to the growth and development of the Maryland-China Business Council, and, at the time of his death, he was a board member and served as chair of the Liaison Committee.  An obituary can be viewed at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55537-2001Jul12.html.

I fondly remember my first significant interaction with John several years ago when I had the opportunity to escort him from his home in Bethesda to Hunt Valley where he captivated the MCBC audience with a lively discussion on US-China relations based on experiences spanning three quarters of a century.  By the time we returned to his home that evening, I felt not only as if I had been instructed by a master but that I had made a genuine friend.

John’s dedication to strengthened US-China relations dated back to his youth when he first visited China with his family.  Over the course of his career with the Foreign Service that spanned almost four decades, he was an Asia specialist serving in a variety of posts, including ambassador to both Indonesia and Singapore, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, National Security Council member, and deputy director at the newly opened US mission in Beijing from 1973 to 1975.  Among his accomplishments, John accompanied then-National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger to Beijing on the secret trip in 1971 that laid the groundwork for the opening of relations with China.  He also accompanied President Richard Nixon on his visit to China in 1972 and helped draft the landmark Shanghai Communiqué.

I know we all will truly miss his great enthusiasm, tremendous stores of wisdom, and warm friendship.  For those who wish to express condolences, the family has asked that donations be made in John's name to either the West Point Fund or the Scholar Orientation Program of the National Committee on US-China Relations.

Sincerely,

Clay E. Hickson
Chairman and President
Maryland-China Business Council

July 17, 2001