Former U.S. Ambassador Walter C. Carrington dies at 90
Walter Charles Carrington ’52, J.D. ’55, passed away on Aug. 11 at the age of 90. Carrington was a former U.S. ambassador to Senegal and Nigeria and civil rights activist. Carrington, who came to Harvard College in 1948, was one of four Black students accepted. He founded the first Harvard chapter of the NAACP while he was president of the Harvard Society for Minority Rights. In addition, he was leader of the Liberal Union and a Class Marshal. Carrington’s years at Harvard were also highlighted by a debate with Malcom X and befriending the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Throughout the years, Carrington remained close to Harvard, including his relationship with the Center for African Studies. Carrington was a distinguished American diplomat who served as the U.S. ambassador to Senegal at the end of the Carter administration (1980-81) and as President Clinton’s ambassador to Nigeria (1993-97). Before his foreign service career, he had...