Raymond A. Hare was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia on April 3, 1901 and raised in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

[1] During his time in Istanbul, he developed a lifelong fascination with Islamic architecture and began a collection of notes and photographs that he later donated to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at the end of his career.

[1] During World War II, Hare became convinced of the strategic importance of the Middle East in the postwar period.

[2] In 1944, Hare was assigned to the U.S. Embassy, London, where he was responsible for coordinating British and American policy towards the Middle East.

[2] In the latter capacity, Hare drafted and negotiated the Tripartite Declaration of 1950, by which the British, the French, and the U.S. agreed to limit arms sales to the Middle East in the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

[4] During the 1953 dispute over ownership of the Buraimi Oasis, Hare convinced the British and Saudis to agree to a standstill agreement, though he was ultimately unable to defuse the situation.

[4] President Eisenhower appointed the Wriston Committee to recommend changes to the way in which State Department personnel were hired, organized, and promoted.

[4] Up to that point, the Foreign Service had offered two distinct career paths to State Department officials: as field officers abroad, or as desk staff in Washington.

[5] Ambassador Hare arrived in Cairo shortly before the breakout of the Suez War, presenting his credentials to the Egyptian government on September 25, 1956.

[6] He informed Nasser that the U.S. would not offer Egypt military aid, but promised to work through the United Nations to secure peace.

[7] He played a critical role in convincing the Turkish government not to invade Cyprus, though his efforts were later nearly undone by a strongly worded letter from President Lyndon B.

[7] President Johnson nominated Hare as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs in 1965.