Ralph J. Bunche
Ralph J. Bunche
Ralph J. Bunche, was a Black diplomat and United Nations
official. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 - the first
Black to get the award. Bunche was born on August 7, 1904, in
Detroit, and moved to Los Angeles after the death of his parents.
He attended the University of California at Los Angeles on an
athletic scholarship. He graduated summa cum laude with a B.A.
degree in International relations in 1927. Bunche joined the
United Nations staff in 1946 and was appointed to the peace-
keeping Palestine Commission.
As the U.S. mediator, he was instrumental in the peace settlement
between the Arabs and Israelis in 1949. His efforts won him the
Nobel Peace Prize. From 1968 until his retirement, Bunche was
under-secretary general, the highest ranking American at the U.N.
He died in 1971, two months after his retirement.
Where Have You Gone, Ralph Bunche?