Bill Rogers, R.I.P.

William D. Rogers died yesterday in Virginia while riding his favorite horse.

He was a lawyer and senior American diplomat with a long and rich career. The New York Times obit points out that he turned down Henry Kissinger’s request that he join the Nixon Administration, but he agreed to enter the government as soon as President Ford took over. In the Ford Administration, he managed an attempt to normalize relations with Cuba; U.S. diplomats had several secret meetings with Cuban diplomats in New York, but Cuba left the offer on the table and later the offer was definitively sunk when Cuba intervened in Angola.

Bill never lost his interest in Cuba and always had time for those of us who wanted to learn about his experience or get his advice. We’ll miss him. R.I.P.