Vincent Obsitnik

United States Ambassador

Class of 1959

• United States Ambassador to Slovak Republic, 2007-2009

Profile

Vincent Obsitnik along with his family emigrated from Moravany, Slovakia.^[1] to the United States within a year of his birth.^[2] In 1955, he graduated from Linden High School.^[3] After High School, he attended the United States Naval Academy, where he graduated in 1959. After Graduation he spent 5 years in the Navy, followed by careers with IBM, Unisys and Litton.^[4] He obtained his master's degree from American University.^[5]

In 2001 George W. Bush appointed him to the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad, where he served until 2006, at which point George W. Bush appointed him to the U.S. Presidential Delegation to the Commemoration of the 65th Anniversary of the Tragedy in Babyn Yar in Ukraine.^[4]

While being a member of the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad, he brought international attention to preservation issues in relation to 17th and 18th century Greek Catholic wooden churches in Slovakia, as well as Jewish cemeteries, synagogue buildings, and Holocaust mass graves located in the Ukraine.^{[4] [6]}

He was sworn-in as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Slovak Republic on November 9, 2007, and served until 2009.^[4]

1. Embassy of the United States: Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2. spravy.pravda.sk - Obsitnik: Fico nie je protiamerický
3. CAROOM, ELIOT. "U.S. ambassador returns to Linden." Star-Ledger 05 May 2009, Union ed.: 015.
4. Interview with H.E. Vincent Obsitnik (archived)
5. USNA Alumni Association News Room, Personnel Announcement
6. United States Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad (archived)