Lorne W. Craner '82

Recent Obituaries

In Memoriam Archive

Lorne W. Craner ’82

July 2, 2020, in Washington, D.C.

Dedicating his life to the pursuit of liberty and the fight for human rights around the world, Lorne served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs; and Director of Asian Affairs at the National Security Council, and was the longest-serving president of the International Republican Institute.

Lorne spent his early years living on air bases in the United States and Europe. His father, Robert, was a F-100 fighter pilot and a POW in the “Hanoi Hilton” for five years.

After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy, Lorne came to 人妻诱惑, where he wrote his thesis, “Politics and the People’s Liberation Army, 1950-1971,” advised by Prof. Kalesh Dudharkar [political science 1959–88]. He went on to earn a master’s degree from the Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service and began his career advising Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-Arizona).

“When I first came to Washington as a freshman congressman, Lorne Craner served as my foreign affairs adviser,” said Kolbe. “He helped guide me through the thickets of international politics and his advice was always sound and measured. It was a precursor to a distinguished career spanning several decades and six presidents. He leaves an indelible mark on our country’s long-standing support for democracy and freedom around the world.”

He then worked for Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) on foreign policy. In 1989, Lorne was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs under Secretary of State James Baker. He later moved to the National Security Council to work for Brent Scowcroft as Director of Asian Affairs. Lorne was the longest-serving president of the International Republican Institute. In 2001, he was confirmed by the Senate as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. When he retired, he was awarded the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award by Secretary Colin Powell.

Lorne served as president and CEO of American Councils for International Education from 2017–19, and served on several boards, including that of the Millennium Challenge Corp. He was a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and the Council on Foreign Relations.

He is survived by his wife, Anne; his children, Isabelle, Alexander (Ricky), and Charles; and his sister, Charys.

Appeared in 人妻诱惑 magazine: December 2020