Europe and the Soviet Union
Tibor P. Nagy Jr.: From Hungary to American Diplomacy
A political refugee from Hungary who became an ambassador twice over and Assistant Secretary for African Affairs.
- Fled
- Hungary
- Status
- Refugee
- Arrived in the U.S.
- 1957
- Service
- Ambassador to Guinea and to Ethiopia; Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (2018 to 2021)
- Region
- Europe and the Soviet Union
Tibor Nagy was born in Hungary and came to the United States as a political refugee after the 1956 revolution. At his 1999 confirmation hearing he told the Senate that his own experience gave him a personal understanding of war, civil unrest, and families uprooted from their homes.
He served as U.S. Ambassador to Guinea and to Ethiopia, and later as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. In early 2025 he was Acting Under Secretary for Management.
Read the history behind this story on the Hungary page, or browse all the diplomats.