William S. Gaud

William S. Gaud

In 1996 David E. Bell left USAID to hand over to "William S. Gaud Jr., 58, who has been AID'S deputy administrator since 1964. A Yale-educated lawyer, Gaud (pronounced Gowd) began his public service as assistant corporation counsel for New York City under Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, who thought Gaud was qualified to become mayor himself some day. An army colonel in charge of lend-lease operations for the China-Burma-India theater during World War II, Gaud put in a brief postwar stint as special assistant to War Secretary Robert Patterson, then went into private practice in New York City. Not until 1961 did he return to public service to direct aid programs for the Middle East and South Asia."