La Salle Alum William J. Burns. Jr.,
Under Secretary of State,
to Lead U.S. Delegation in Talks with Iran

La Salle University graduate William Burns, Jr., the third highest-ranking member of the U.S. State Department, joined other world powers this weekend in a meeting with Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator. 

The Bush Administration has reversed its policy of not dealing directly with the Iranian government, and sent Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, to the Geneva talks. 

According to news reports, the talks are aimed at persuading Iran to halt activities that could lead to the development of atomic weapons. 

Burns appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and said, “The behavior of the Iranian regime poses as serious a set of challenges to the international community as any problem we face today. Iran's nuclear ambitions; its support for terrorism; and its efforts to undermine hopes for stability in Iraq and Afghanistan, including lethal backing for groups attacking American troops, are all deeply troubling.” 

Burns was a student in La Salle’s Honors Program and graduated in 1978 with a degree in political science. He developed an interest in the Middle East while a student. He earned his M.Phil. and D.Phil. degrees in International Relations from Oxford University, where he studied as a Marshall Scholar, the first in La Salle’s history. Burns also received an honorary doctor of law degree from La Salle in 1997. 

Several La Salle professors have said Burns was the best student they have ever had and described him as incredibly intelligent and diligent.  

“He was one of the best, if not the best student, I ever taught,” said John Rossi, who’s taught history at La Salle for more than 40 years. “There was nothing he couldn’t do. His exams were letter perfect and brilliantly written. His handwriting was almost script, and beautifully done. And he was very unassuming. You wouldn’t notice this (in him) until your first exposure to his work.” 

Rossi added that in his first class with him, Burns sat in the back of the room. “I thought, ‘Who is this quiet guy, who’s not saying a word?’ Then for a class discussion, I posed a question to him, and he blew me away with his answer. It was so far beyond what you’d expect.” 

George Stow, who taught Burns in several history courses, said, “He was simply outstanding. I’d say one of the most accomplished students I’ve ever had.”

At first, Stow noticed something unusual about Burns: “He didn’t take any notes. I thought, this is going to be a disaster, and when the first blue book exam was given, I read his and he just knocked me out. He had references to things I had said in lectures, but he’d done independent readings in the library. It was a very, very thorough, comprehensive and detailed essay.” 

Stow also noted that Burns was a pretty good basketball player. The two would be on a court for pickup games, “and other players probably thought they could make mincemeat of him, but Bill would nail shots from three-point land,” he said. 

Burns, 52, joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1982. He speaks Arabic, French and Russian. He has received two presidential distinguished service awards and was in 1994 on Time Magazine’s list of the “50 Most Promising American Leaders Under Age 40” and on Time’s list of “100 Global Leaders.” 

“Bill Burns is probably and arguably the most respected and effective U.S. diplomat. Period. He is universally acclaimed in the region and within the department and by Republic and Democratic administrations,” said Shibley Telhami, a Middle East expert with the University of Maryland. 

Burns served from 2005 until 2008 as Ambassador to Russia. He was Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from 2001 until 2005, and Ambassador to Jordan from 1998 until 2001. Ambassador Burns has also served in a number of other posts since entering the Foreign Service in 1982, including: Executive Secretary of the State Department and Special Assistant to Secretaries Christopher and Albright; Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow; Acting Director and Principal Deputy Director of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff; and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council staff.

He is married with two daughters.