Title: Retired Government Official
Location: Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Dorothy M. Sampas, Retired Government Official, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Public Administration.
Dr. Sampas retired in 1998, after a prolific career in the U.S. State Department and later as an international diplomat. She followed her father’s footsteps into government and diplomacy. In her last role before retirement, Dr. Sampas served as the American ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania from 1994 to 1997. She is a recipient of the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, and has appeared in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Politics, Who’s Who in the East, Who’s Who in the World, and Who’s Who of American Women.
Born in the District of Columbia to Lawrence Myers and Anna Cornelia Myers, Dr. Sampas attended the University of Michigan, and traveled to the University of Paris for postgraduate work. As a student, she was a registered lobbyist in the Michigan legislature. Upon her return, Dr. Sampas joined the Bureau of Public Affairs in the U.S. State Department in 1958. She was vice-consul of the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg, Germany for two years, and in 1962 she married her husband, James George Sampas. The couple had George and Lawrence James before Dr. Sampas returned to her career, this time earning a PhD from Georgetown University in 1970.
Through the ‘70s and ‘80s, Dr. Sampas was division chief or director of numerous offices in the U.S. State Department. From 1987 to 1990, she served as embassy minister-counselor of the U.S. embassy in Beijing, China. From 1991 to 1994, Dr. Sampas served a similar role with the U.S. mission to the United Nations in New York. In addition to her academic degrees, she holds a certificate from the Defense Resource Management Institute at the Naval Postgraduate School, as well as a certificate from the National War College in her home town. Dr. Sampas has also volunteered for many years with the Sibley Memorial Hospital, and is a member of the Cosmos Club. In her free time, she enjoys reading and theatre.
For more information, please visit:
Contact Dr. Sampas
