JCU Trustee Frederick Vreeland Interviewed by Corriere della Sera on U.S. Election Results
The Corriere della Sera, one of Italy’s leading daily newspapers, recently interviewed JCU Trustee and former ambassador Frederick Vreeland, on the election of Joe Biden as President of the United States.
The Hon. Vreeland, who is 93 years old, who worked for the CIA and the U.S. Department of State, served as U.S. Ambassador to Morocco from 1963 to 1967. In 1963, while a member of the U.S. National Security Agency in Washington, D.C., he briefed President John F. Kennedy in preparation for the President’s visit to Berlin, 22 months after Soviet-occupied East Germany erected the Berlin Wall. Ambassador Vreeland is credited with inventing the phrase “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner) and teaching President Kennedy how to pronounce the German words that became the title of the best-known speech of the Cold War.
In the interview, Vreeland says that “Let’s fight for a united America,” is the slogan that he would suggest to Joe Biden, whom he believes will be a great mediator between Democrats and Republicans. According to Vreeland, the majority of Republicans will support a peaceful transition to the Biden presidency, despite President Trump’s attempts to obstruct the process
When asked what Americans expect from Biden today, Vreeland replied, “Everyone, whether Democrat or Republican, expects a return to the presidential tradition of unity as it existed for 200 years, before the arrival of Trump. This is what America expected of Kennedy when he entered the White House in 1961.” He added that Biden has already demonstrated that he wants to be “everyone’s President.”
Italian P.M. Giuseppe Conte (fourth from left) with JCU Trustees. Hon. Frederick Vreeland is fourth from right and JCU President Franco Pavoncello is second from right
In terms of foreign policy, Vreeland is confident that Italy and Europe will have an excellent relationship with President-Elect Biden and Vice-President-Elect Harris. “I know Italian Prime Minister Conte, who was on the Board of John Cabot University, where I am the most ‘senior’ Trustee, and I am sure that these two statesmen will work well together for the future.” Vreeland also believes that Biden will be successful because of the support of Vice President Harris, whom he describes as truly talented and capable. “I hope that she will be Biden’s successor as President. I would be happy to see a woman in command and more women in politics in general.”
The Hon. Vreeland, who is also Vice President Emeritus of John Cabot University, is the oldest-serving Trustee currently on the JCU Board, which has greatly benefited from his wise counsel and support throughout the years. In 2019, a generous donation by Vreeland led to the creation of the Vanessa Somers Art Project. Named in honor of Trustee Vreeland’s late wife Vanessa, an accomplished artist and great friend of JCU, the Project aims to promote the arts at, and for, John Cabot University.
