John Brady Keisling, Doctor of Laws

John Brady Kiesling received an honorary Doctor of Laws at Grinnell College Commencement 2007.

"Everyone has to punch some ticket in life that says they have made a difference."

Kiesling's words, quoted here, reflect his willingness to a make a deep personal sacrifice for the good of a larger ideal, and for his country.

On February 24, 2003, Mr. Kiesling resigned his position with the U.S. Foreign Service in protest of what he saw as the damage being done to U.S. interests and alliances by the Bush administration's foreign policy, particularly the build-up to war with Iraq. He gave up a successful 20-year career — he called it a "dream job" — for his principles. In doing so, he has inspired many of us and reminded us that having the courage of our convictions sometimes requires great personal sacrifice. For his courageous act, Grinnell College honors him.

Mr. Kiesling joined the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State in 1983. He brought with him a liberal arts education from Swarthmore College, where he earned a degree in Ancient Greek in 1979, graduating with distinction, Phi Beta Kappa. He also holds a master's degree in ancient history and Mediterranean archaeology from the University of California-Berkeley. Mr. Kiesling's career carried him from his first posting at the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Morocco, the Balkans, Romania, India, Armenia, and finally to Greece, where he was political counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Athens.

In 2003, Mr. Kiesling found he could no longer argue in favor of his country's foreign policy decisions. As he told Secretary of State Colin Powell in his letter of resignation, until that point he had always believed that by upholding the policies of his president, he was also upholding the interests of the American people and the world. "I believe it no longer," he told Powell. His resignation brought international attention to rising dissatisfaction with the war in Iraq. Michel Faber praised his letter of resignation, which was circulated worldwide, as "a masterpiece of dignity, eloquent reasoning, acute analysis, and, most of all, humanity."

Mr. Kiesling's story was told widely in the press, including appearances on CNN International; Now with Bill Moyers on PBS; and BBC Newsnight. He was interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered and Fresh Air with Teri Gross, and his story appeared in the pages of The Nation. Bill Clinton sent him an admiring handwritten note. Since his resignation, Mr. Kiesling has turned his energies to lecturing, writing, and teaching. His book, Diplomacy Lessons: Realism for an Unloved Superpower, provides insights on how and why U.S. foreign policy has strayed so far from our nation's core values.

Grinnell College is proud to honor John Brady Kiesling for his efforts to remind us of what the United States should be — as he himself writes, "a beacon of liberty, security, and justice for the planet."