Larry C. Napper
Senior Lecturer and Ambassador-in-Residence
Ambassador (ret.) Larry C. Napper is Senior Lecturer at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, with primary teaching, research, and service interests in American diplomacy and statecraft, U.S. foreign and national security policy, and Russia and the Eurasian states of the former USSR. Ambassador Napper is serving as Interim Director of the Bush School's Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs for the 2009-10 academic year. From March-July 2008, Ambassador Napper served as co-leader of the Iraq Governance Assessment Team which made numerous recommendations to U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Commanding General Multi-National Force Iraq General David Petraeus on measures to improve governance in Iraq, following extensive visits to American forces and Iraqi leaders throughout the country.
Ambassador Napper completed a 31-year career in the United States Foreign Service in 2005, receiving the Secretary of State's Career Achievement Award, Presidential Meritorious Service Awards in 1994 and 2001, and numerous other individual and group awards. Larry Napper served as U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan from 2001-2004. After 9/11, Ambassador Napper led in securing Kazakhstan's commitment to the war on terror and active cooperation in preventing proliferation of WMD. During Ambassador Napper's tenure, American investment in Kazakhstan exceeded $6 billion, including major projects in energy and transportation and ground-breaking on a $100 million new embassy compound. Under Napper's leadership, the embassy was a strong advocate for democracy and human rights in Kazakhstan.
Napper served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Latvia from 1995-98. During his tenure, Latvia made decisive strides toward membership in NATO and the EU. From 1998-2001, Ambassador Napper was Coordinator for U.S. Assistance to Central Europe and the Balkans, administering a $600 million budget for peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction.
From 1991-94, Napper served as Director of the State Department's Office of Soviet Union Affairs, restructuring the office following the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Napper led in establishing diplomatic relations with the independent states that emerged from the Soviet collapse, opening embassies in each of the new capitals. From 1989-91, Napper served as Charge d'Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania, receiving the Department's Distinguished Honor Award for leadership during the December 1989 violent overthrow of the Ceausescu dictatorship. From 1974-1989, Napper served in numerous diplomatic assignments in Moscow, Southern Africa, and Washington. Ambassador Napper received his B.A. in History from Texas A&M University in 1969 and M.A. in Government and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia in 1974. Ambassador Napper was born in San Antonio, Texas (11/27/47) and served in the U.S. Army from 1969-72.
