Brian Urquhart (1919- ) joined the UN in 1945, serving as personal assistant to Gladwyn Jebb and then to the first UN Secretary-General, Trygve Lie, and subsequently in various capacities related to international peace and security under Ralph Bunche between 1954 and 1971. He was involved in conferences on peaceful uses of atomic energy and in all of the major crises ranging from the Congo to Cyprus, from Kashmir to various hot spots in the Middle East. He took over after Bunche’s death in 1971 as under-secretary-general for special political affairs and remained in this position until his retirement in 1986. He was born in England, educated at Oxford University, and served in the British Army from 1939-45. He has written several books, including biographies of Dag Hammarskjöld and Ralph Bunche, volumes on decolonization and on reforming the UN system. His autobiography is titled A Life in Peace and War.

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