[2] Gordon had a career both in government and in academia, becoming a Professor of International Economic Relations at Harvard University in the 1950s, before turning his attention to foreign affairs.

He started in the Bureau of Research and Statistics of the War Production Board before joining the staff of the Requirements Committee, helping design the Controlled Materials Plan.

Ambassador to Brazil (1961–66), where he played a major role for the support of the opposition against the government of President João Goulart and during the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état.

[11] On July 30, 1962, President Kennedy held a meeting with Gordon and U.S Latin American Advisor Richard N. Goodwin and urged for a "liaison" with Brazil's military.

[13][12] On March 27, 1964, he wrote a top secret cable to the US government, urging it to support the coup of Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco with a "clandestine delivery of arms" and shipments of gas and oil, to possibly be supplemented by CIA covert operations.

[14] Gordon wrote: "If our influence is to be brought to bear to help avert a major disaster here--which might make Brazil the China of the 1960s--this is where both I and all my senior advisors believe our support should be placed.

[1] Circa 2004 many documents were declassified and placed online at the GWU National Security Archive, indicating the involvement of Johnson, McNamara, Gordon, and others.

[15] Afterward, Gordon became Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (1966–68) in Washington, D.C.,[3] and worked for the Alliance for Progress, which coordinated aid to Latin America.

[18] The New York Times stated that "Dr. Gordon's four years at Johns Hopkins were dogged by deteriorating finances, faculty complaints over pay and academic priorities, and students rebellious over the 'relevance' of their educations."