Awards
- Honorary Degree - 1981
- LL.D.
- Doctor of Laws
- Commencement
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Presenter: John William Ryan
About Ulric St. Clair Haynes, Jr.
On February 6, 1981 Columbus, Indiana, celebrated "Ulric Haynes Day" to proudly acknowledge the role one of its citizens played in the release of the U.S. hostages from Iran. As U.S. Ambassador to Algeria during the sensitive negotiations which led to the resolution of the crisis, Ulric Haynes was a central supportive figure in the delicate and complicated process by which Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher and his State Department team worked with the Algerian intermediaries to arrive at a peaceful, negotiated settlement with the Iranian authorities. The most remembered moment of his career as Ambassador occurred when Mr. Haynes stood beside Mr. Christopher to welcome the released Americans to Algiers. But Ambassador Haynes' greatest contribution to the settlement may well have predated the sei¬zure of the U.S. Embassy in Iran. The generosity and the importance of the Algerian government's tireless and conscientious diplomacy during the time of crisis cannot be underestimated, yet at the time of his appointment by President Carter in 1977 Ambassador Haynes found U.S.-Algerian relations to be "cool but correct." He is substantially credited with the enormous improvement which subsequently took place in the relationship between the two countries and which helped establish the climate of trust necessary for the negotiations with Iran. It was a remarkable accomplishment.
Ulric St. Clair Haynes, Jr. was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1931, the only child of immigrant parents from Barbados. He attended Amherst College, graduating in 1952 with a B.A. cum laude. Four years later, having completed his degree in law from Yale University, Ulric Haynes accepted a post as Assistant to Counsel, New York State Department of Commerce. In 1959 Haynes was appointed an administrative officer with the United Nations in Europe, and since that time he has carefully balanced his career between government, service, and private business. During the 1960's Haynes at various times worked for the Ford Foundation in Lagos, Nigeria, and Tunisia; at the State Department; and from 1965-66 as a member of the National Security Council, specializing in African Affairs. Ulric Haynes then turned his versatile talents to business. In 1958 he had attended a summer seminar at Cornell University on industrial and labor relations, and in 1966 he attended an advanced management program at Harvard University. From 1968-72 he was a Visiting Lecturer at Harvard University Business School. Mr. Haynes also worked as a management consultant from 1966-72.
In 1972 he joined Cummins Engine Company as Vice-President of Management Development, and with the exception of his leave of absence as Ambassador to Algeria, Ulric Haynes has been a member of Cummins' management ever since. From 1976-77 he served as Cummins' Vice-President for the Middle East and African Affairs, and during these years he gained invaluable knowledge and firsthand experience of the region, an expertise which was to serve his country's interests so well during his tenure as Ambassador to Algeria. In January 1981 he returned to Columbus and to Cummins as Vice-President for International Business. A fluent speaker of French, Ambassador Haynes is keenly aware of the importance of a thorough knowledge of foreign languages both in diplomacy and in business.
Despite the many other demands upon him, he has always found time and energy for the development of the arts and education. At various times in the past he has served as a member of the board of directors of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, of the Association Internationale des Etudients en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales, and of the Educational Policy Center. In addition, Ulric Haynes has served on a variety of educational boards and committees, including the Board of Trustees of Pratt Institute and Hampton College, the Advisory Council of Stanford University Business School, and the Visiting Committee of Harvard University Business School. He is the author of several articles on business and has served on boards of di¬rectors of several banks and other business institutions.
On September 20, 1969 Ulric Haynes and Yolande Toussaint were married. They have a daughter, Alexandra, and a son, Gregory.