Franklin Huddle

Franklin Pierce "Frank" Huddle Jr. (born May 9, 1943) is an American diplomat. Huddle has the nickname "Pancho."[1]

Franklin Huddle
United States Ambassador to Tajikistan
In office October 26, 2001 – October 9, 2003
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Robert Finn
Succeeded by	Richard E. Hoagland
Personal details
Born	(1943-05-09) May 9, 1943 California
Spouse(s)	Chanya "Pom" Huddle
Alma mater	Brown University Harvard University

A native of California,[2][3] Huddle received a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics from Brown University in 1965. Huddle received two degrees from Harvard University, including a Master of Arts in Middle Eastern History and Languages in 1970 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1978.[4]

From September 1990 to September 1994 Huddle served in Myanmar as the Chargé d'affaires ad interim.[4][5]

While serving as the Consul General of Bombay (Mumbai), Huddle and his wife, Chanya "Pom" Huddle, survived the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961, which was hijacked, on November 23, 1996.[6][7] Huddle said that he chose to fly on Ethiopian Airlines while planning a safari trip to Kenya due to its outstanding reputation and having Federal Aviation Administration certification adding that a daytime flight was "safer". In another interview for the Mayday television series, he said when the captain announced to the cabin that it was time for passengers to don life jackets, he heard the sounds of inflation after he and his wife put theirs on; he then stood up and told the passengers in all three cabins not to inflate their jackets inside the plane.[8] Huddle credits his and his wife's survival to a last-minute upgrade to business class.[1]

Huddle served as U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Tajikistan.[3][4][9] He received an appointment on October 1, 2001 and presented his credentials on October 26, 2001. He left the Tajikistan post on October 9, 2003.[10]

Huddle and his wife have one child.[2]