Clinton E. Knox

Clinton Everett Knox (May 5, 1908 – October 14, 1980) was an American diplomat who was the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti. He was held hostage in his residence in Port-au-Prince for almost 20 hours on January 24, 1973. Knox and Consul General Ward L. Christensen were released in exchange for the release of 12 Haitian prisoners, safe conduct to Mexico and a ransom of $70,000.^[1]

Knox was also the Ambassador to the west African nation of Dahomey (now the country of Benin) from 1964 to 1969.^[2] He was the first African American secretary to the United States Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).^[3]