19 Facts About Prudence Bushnell

Prudence Bushnell was born on 1946 and is an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Kenya from 1996 to 1999 and as United States Ambassador to Guatemala from 1999 to 2002.

Prudence Bushnell's father was a career member of the United States Foreign Service and as a result of her family's travels, she grew up in Iran, Germany, France and Pakistan.

Prudence Bushnell joined the foreign service in 1981 as an administrative track officer, with her first assignment being in Bombay, India.

Prudence Bushnell then served as Deputy Chief of Mission under Ambassador George Moose at the US Embassy in Dakar, Senegal.

Prudence Bushnell, who had been visiting the area just weeks before, released a memorandum immediately following the assassinations.

Prudence Bushnell began calling Rwandan military officials in an attempt to persuade them to cease the slaughter.

Prudence Bushnell warned him that the State Department was aware of the violence and called for an end to the massacres.

Prudence Bushnell remained Deputy Assistant Secretary until being nominated by President Clinton to serve as Ambassador to Kenya in 1996.

Prudence Bushnell used her office to push Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi to institute democratic reforms and to root out corruption in his government, a major drag on Kenya's economy.

Prudence Bushnell was alarmed at the vulnerability of the US embassy compound to attack.

Prudence Bushnell's fears proved to be well founded when on August 7,1998 a car bomb was detonated next to the embassy by al-Qaeda agents.

Prudence Bushnell was knocked unconscious by the blast and badly cut by flying glass.

Prudence Bushnell responded by appearing on Kenyan state television to point out the inherent danger the devastated compound posed to untrained searchers and the need to preserve evidence.

Prudence Bushnell was killed on April 30,2011 in Pakistan.

Prudence Bushnell was nominated by President Clinton in 1999 to serve as US Ambassador to Guatemala.

Prudence Bushnell was sworn into that position on August 5,1999 by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Prudence Bushnell conceived this framework for examining approaches to global challenges in the wake of her book about the 1998 al Qaeda terrorist attacks.

Prudence Bushnell resigned as US Ambassador to Guatemala in July 2002 to become Dean of the Leadership and Management School at the Foreign Service Institute, a position she no longer holds.

Prudence Bushnell is married to lawyer and playwright Richard Buckley and has five stepchildren.