Michael Armacost ’58 H89

Michael Hayden Armacost, a distinguished American diplomat, scholar, and public servant,
passed away peacefully in his home on March 8, 2025, at the age of 87. Born on April 15, 1937,
in Cleveland, Ohio, Armacost’s career spanned academia, diplomacy, and leadership in policy
research, leaving an indelible mark on U.S. foreign relations, particularly in Asia.

Armacost was the son of George H. Armacost, president of the University of Redlands, and
Verda Gay Armacost. He pursued higher education at Carleton College, earning a Bachelor of
Arts in 1958. He furthered his studies at Columbia University, obtaining a Master of Arts in 1961
and a Ph.D. in 1965.

Before entering the diplomatic arena, Armacost taught government at Pomona College from
1962 to 1968. He served as a visiting professor of international relations at the International
Christian University in Tokyo from 1968 to 1969 and later lectured at Johns Hopkins University
and Georgetown University. He became a White House Fellow in 1969, then transitioned into
government service.

Armacost shaped US diplomatic and security relations with Asia through a variety of roles,
including the Department of State’s Policy Planning Staff (1969-72, 1974-77), Special Assistant
to the Ambassador in Tokyo (1972-74), National Security Council (1977-78), Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense (1978-80), and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and
Pacific Affairs (1980-82).

In 1982, President Reagan appointed him as U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, where he
negotiated a successful five-year extension of the Military Bases Agreement, a key component of
the overall U.S. Far East strategy at the time. He then became Under Secretary of State for
Political Affairs from 1984 to 1989 under George Schultz. In 1989, President George H.W.
Bush appointed Armacost to be U.S. Ambassador to Japan during a critical time in US-Japan
relations.

His exemplary service earned him the President’s Distinguished Service Award, the Defense
Department’s Distinguished Civilian Service Award, and the Secretary of State’s Distinguished
Service Award. In 2007, Japan honored him with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising
Sun.

After retiring from diplomatic service, Armacost became president of the Brookings Institution
from 1995 to 2002, enhancing its role in policy research. He later joined Stanford University’s
Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center as a fellow, contributing to academic
discourse on international relations until his retirement in 2021. He served on several corporate
boards, including TRW Inc., AFLAC Inc., Applied Materials Inc., USEC Inc., and Cargill Inc, as
well as a number of non-profit boards. He chaired the boards of Carleton College and the Asia
Foundation and was an active member of the Council on Foreign Relations for 48 years.

Armacost authored four books, including “Friends or Rivals?: The Insider’s Account of U.S. –
Japan Relations” (1996) and “Ballots, Bullets, and Bargains: American Foreign Policy and
Presidential Elections” (2015).

In his personal life, Armacost was an avid and versatile athlete. He helped Carleton College win
Midwest Conference titles in basketball, baseball, and cross country. He captained both the
baseball and basketball teams and started in every game of both sports during his tenure at
Carleton. At the time of graduation, he ranked 2nd in career points with 1,045. As an adult,
Armacost was a formidable opponent in both tennis and golf. The NCAA named him the 91st
most influential student-athlete of its first hundred years.

For all of his accomplishments, he was most importantly a wonderful man. He was kind, humble,
and always more interested in listening to what was “new with you” than talking about
himself. He had the ability to throw out one-liners with a comedic timing that left everyone in
stitches. His devotion to his wife, Bonny, was an inspiration to anyone who witnessed it. An
amazing father and grandfather who was deeply loved, he will be missed by his entire family.

Armacost is survived by his wife of 66 years, Roberta “Bonny” Armacost; their three children,
Scott (Miho), Tim (Niki), and Chris (Becky); six grandchildren, Samantha, Zachary, Grace,
Colson, Audrey, and Lily; and his three siblings, Peter Armacost (Mary Linda), Samuel
Armacost (Mary Jane) and Mary Hulst (Jack).

A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. on April 26th at Congregational Church of San
Mateo, 225 Tilton Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401.