Ambassador Jean Mary Wilkowski (1919-2016) made history for women of The Woods and the country as she was the first woman appointed as a United States Ambassador to Africa where she headed the U.S. Embassy in Zaire.
She served in postings in Europe, Asia and South America. During her 35-year career, Wilkowski specialized in protecting and promoting U.S. trade and investment interests in such posts as Paris, Milan, Rome, Santiago and Geneva. She also served during a revolution in Bogotá, attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa and the war between El Salvador and Honduras, when she called in U.S. humanitarian aid for 50,000 war-displaced persons. She authored, “Abroad for Her Country: Tales of a Pioneer Woman Ambassador in the U.S. Foreign Service.”
Wilkowski completed a degree in journalism with a minor in French. She was a lifelong learner who earned six honorary degrees, one from The Woods. Ambassador Wilkowski also served as a Trustee at Barry University and SMWC. In 2003, Ambassador Wilkowski was awarded SMWC’s Distinguished Alumni Award for Diplomatic Service.