George Ball (diplomat)

George Ball
Ball in 1966
7th United States Ambassador to the United Nations
In office June 26, 1968 – September 25, 1968
President	Lyndon B. Johnson
Preceded by	Arthur Goldberg
Succeeded by	James R. Wiggins
23rd United States Under Secretary of State
In office December 4, 1961 – September 30, 1966
President	John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson
Preceded by	Chester Bowles
Succeeded by	Nicholas Katzenbach
Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs
In office February 1, 1961 – December 3, 1961
President	John F. Kennedy
Preceded by	C. Douglas Dillon
Succeeded by	Thomas C. Mann
Personal details
Born	George Wildman Ball (1909-12-21)December 21, 1909 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Died	May 26, 1994(1994-05-26) (aged 84) New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Northwestern University (BS, JD)

George Wildman Ball (December 21, 1909 – May 26, 1994) was an American diplomat and banker. He served in the management of the US State Department from 1961 to 1966 and is remembered by most as the only cabinet member of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson who was a major dissenter against the escalation of the Vietnam War. Ball advised against deploying U.S. combat forces, as he believed it would lead the United States into an unwinnable war and result in a prolonged conflict. Instead, he argued that the United States should prioritize allocating its resources to Europe rather than engaging in expensive military ventures. He refused to publicize his doubts. He helped determine American policy regarding trade expansion, Congo, the Multilateral Force, de Gaulle's France, Israel and the rest of the Middle East, and the Iranian Revolution.