Edmund Muskie

Edmund Sixtus "Ed" Muskie (March 28, 1914March 26, 1996) was an American statesman, author, academic, and reformer who served as the 58th United States Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter. As head of the U.S. State Department, Muskie was influential in establishing diplomatic ties with foreign entities, developed numerous measures in U.S. foreign policy, and assisted Carter in the diplomatic resolution of the Iran hostage crisis, widely considered a pivotal episode in the history of Iran–United States relations. After the conclusion of the Carter presidency, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on January 16, 1981.