Thomas Patrick Melady

"The family of man must accept responsibility for the suffering of other members of the family. Over 150,000 bodies are buried in the foothills of Burundi. I write with a feeling of great sadness, for I see no end to the business. The work of reducing age-old hatreds and fears is long and difficult. Armenia, Ireland, Malaysia, Cyprus, Canada and Belgium comprise a sad and unended litany of horror. Perhaps there are lessons to be retrieved from the Burundi experience."

"It was very clear the key office for an ambassador is the Department of State, the Office of Foreign Affairs. So you get right down to a small number of people. My own personal style was not too over do it but to keep in touch and to be available."

"I'd say the aspect of the communism of the Chinese or Russians which wasn't marketable was the atheism. The Africans were sort of a naturally spiritual people and it was hard to communicate that."

"For some, the implementation of cultural diplomacy is not done on a playing field when all participants are free of impediments, as minor as they may seem in comparison to the past. I do not mean to imply that in these relationships we should indicate any special concern or in any way indicate a desire to compensate for the past, but these are the facts that mature and well-balanced people should be aware of and take into consideration."

"He was more than a diplomat who served as a U.S. ambassador, he was a person who was convinced that there was a way to make things better. He spent his time working to bring people together, and always with the goal for a more peaceful world. He felt that the protocols that exist in life are a way to show good manners and to be respectful of people, and it didn’t matter what political party you belonged to."

"The effectiveness of Tom Melady was enhanced by his prior experience as an ambassador in Central Africa and as a university president. He was able to move between the different interests of the Church internationally and he offered something special."

"He made a significant contribution, not only teaching, but going out of his way to mentor both students and interns."