William H. Luers

William H. Luers was an Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University as well as the Director of The Iran Project. He was President of the United Nations Association of the USA (1999-2009) and President of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC (1986-1999). Prior to his move to New York, Luers had a 31 year career in the Foreign Service. He served as US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1983-1986) and Venezuela (1978-1982), and held numerous posts in Italy, Germany, the Soviet Union, and in the Department of State. Luers was an adjunct at several universities in addition to Columbia. He was also the Director’s Visitor at Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Studies in 1982-1983. An active member of the Council on Foreign Relations and other public policy organizations, Luers served on a number of corporate and nonprofit boards, including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, The National Museum of Natural History, The Trust for Mutual Understanding, and the Rubin Art Museum. He was also chairman of the Advisory Board of The Center for Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California and of The Harriman Institute at Columbia University. He was a public speaker on foreign affairs, diplomacy, the UN, and the arts, and was widely published on foreign policy issues. He was an active member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Born in Springfield, Illinois, Luers received his B.A. from Hamilton College and his M.A. from Columbia University following four years in the United States Navy.