MIT World Speakers

John Shattuck SM ‘77, PhD ‘78

As US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in the Clinton Administration John Shattuck was the US Government's chief human-rights official from 1993 to 1998. He also served as the US Ambassador in Prague from 1999 to 2000. Before entering government, Ambassador Shattuck was Vice President for Government, Community, & Public Affairs at Harvard University. Prior to that, he worked for the American Civil Liberties Union as Executive Director of the Washington office and national staff counsel from 1971 to 1984.

Ambassador Shattuck is now the Chief Executive Officer of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation in Boston. Among the numerous honors he has received for his work is the International Human Rights Award from the United Nations Association. His book, Freedom on Fire: Human Rights Wars and the Roots of Terrorism, will be published in Fall 2003 by Harvard University Press.