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The World Food Prize is pleased to announce the public launch of the Archive of the Foundation President, Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn. The Archive, which represents his entire 52 year public career, can be found at www.ambassadorkennethquinnarchive.org.
“At the end of five decades in foreign affairs, there is an understandable instinct to look back and sum up I where have been and what have I experienced and contributed along the way,” said Amb. Quinn. “The website, with the title ‘From the Mississippi to the Mekong,’ captures my odyssey that drew me first to Asia and then to so many other destinations in Africa, Europe and Latin America, but always, in the end, pulled back to where my roots run deepest, in my home state of Iowa.”
From the beginning of his journey taking the Foreign Service entrance exam in 1967, to multiple assignments for the State Department, including six years in Vietnam during the war, to being assigned to the National Security Council at the White House, to his service as U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, Amb. Quinn details his global journey from Iowa to Indochina with stops along the Potomac River in Washington along the way. It concludes with his return from the Killing Fields to the Field of Dreams in 1999 to begin his 20 years of leading the World Food Prize.
The archive features a video memoir depicting the many achievements throughout Amb. Quinn’s life, as well as multiple short stories told by Amb. Quinn, and the impact that each event had on him and his family. It also has an extensive bibliography of articles he has written, speeches he has given and media reports about his involvement in various events and issues, from the recognition of President Nixon, to an espionage case, advocacy on behalf of refugees while serving on the staff of Iowa Governor Robert D. Ray and confronting terrorism.
“My most heartfelt appreciation goes out to Nicole Barreca, the Director of Communications at the World Food Prize, who conceived of this project, and Will Hamilton, Carmen Angel, Hannah Wiles, Geoffrey Purcell, Adam Kiesel, Tiffany Nelson, Alli Jones and Sophia Walker, who implemented her vision,” said Amb. Quinn. “Except for their dedication, attention to detail and endless research to locate so many documents, speeches and news articles, my legacy would be in a few boxes in my attic. Instead, they are marvelously organized and available on this sleek, easy-to-use website. I am grateful and I feel certain that my grandchildren and great grandchildren will be as well.”