U. Alexis “Alex” Johnson was a senior career foreign service officer; U.S. ambassador to Thailand from 1958 to 1961; U.S. deputy under secretary of state for political affairs from 1961 to 1964 and 1965 to 1966; U.S. deputy ambassador to Vietnam from 1964 to 1965; U.S. ambassador to Japan from 1966 to 1969; U.S. under secretary of state for political affairs from 1969 to 1973; and chief U.S. delegate to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks from 1973 to 1977.