Reginald Leeper
Encyclopedia
Sir Reginald Wildig Allen Leeper (25 March 1888 – 2 February 1968) was a British civil servant and diplomat. He was the founder of the British Council
.
Born in Sydney
, Australia
, Leeper was educated at Melbourne Grammar School
, Melbourne's Trinity College
, and New College, Oxford
.
Leeper was the son of Dr Alexander Leeper
, the first Warden of Trinity College, the University of Melbourne, and his wife Adeline (née Allen). His half-sister, Valentine Leeper
(1900–2001), maintained a life-long correspondence with him.
Rex Leeper (as he was known) began his government career at the Intelligence Bureau of the Department of Information during the First World War and served briefly at the Political Intelligence Department
.
He became head of Britain's Political Intelligence Department
when it reformed in 1938.
He was British ambassador to the Greek government from 1943 to 1946 (in exile
in Cairo until October 1944), and British ambassador to Argentina from 1946 to 1948. In his former post, he played a critical role in inter-Greek political developments of 1944, especially in support of the Greek monarchy in the person of King George II of Greece
. After Greece's liberation, Leeper continued to be one of the major power brokers during his tenure, which included the early stages of the Greek Civil War
.
His brother, Alexander Wigram Allen Leeper, was also a distinguished British diplomat.
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
.
Born in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Leeper was educated at Melbourne Grammar School
Melbourne Grammar School
Melbourne Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, located in South Yarra and Caulfield, suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, Melbourne's Trinity College
Trinity College (University of Melbourne)
Trinity College is the oldest college of the University of Melbourne. Founded in 1872 on a site granted to the Church of England, Trinity is unique among Australian university colleges in its diverse education programs...
, and New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
.
Leeper was the son of Dr Alexander Leeper
Alexander Leeper
Alexander Leeper , was an Australian educationist.Alexander Leeper, the son of the Rev. Alexander Leeper, canon of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, was born on 3 June 1848. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated B.A. in 1871 and M.A...
, the first Warden of Trinity College, the University of Melbourne, and his wife Adeline (née Allen). His half-sister, Valentine Leeper
Valentine Leeper
Valentine Alexa Leeper was an Australian classicist, teacher, polemicist, and letter-writer of renown.-Life:...
(1900–2001), maintained a life-long correspondence with him.
Rex Leeper (as he was known) began his government career at the Intelligence Bureau of the Department of Information during the First World War and served briefly at the Political Intelligence Department
Political Intelligence Department (1918 - 1920)
The Political Intelligence Department was a department of the British Foreign Office created towards the end of World War I. It was created on March 11, 1918, by Permanent Under-Secretary Lord Hardinge. It gathered political, economic, and military conditions in both allied and enemy countries...
.
He became head of Britain's Political Intelligence Department
Political Intelligence Department
The Political Intelligence Department was a department of the British Foreign Office during World War II. Established in 1939, its main function was the production of weekly intelligence summaries...
when it reformed in 1938.
He was British ambassador to the Greek government from 1943 to 1946 (in exile
Greek government in exile
The Greek government in exile was the official government of Greece, headed by King George II, which evacuated from Athens in April 1941, after the German invasion of the country, first to the island of Crete and then to Cairo in Egypt. Hence it is also referred to as the "Cairo Government"...
in Cairo until October 1944), and British ambassador to Argentina from 1946 to 1948. In his former post, he played a critical role in inter-Greek political developments of 1944, especially in support of the Greek monarchy in the person of King George II of Greece
George II of Greece
George II reigned as King of Greece from 1922 to 1924 and from 1935 to 1947.-Early life, first period of kingship and exile:George was born at the royal villa at Tatoi, near Athens, the eldest son of King Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia...
. After Greece's liberation, Leeper continued to be one of the major power brokers during his tenure, which included the early stages of the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
.
His brother, Alexander Wigram Allen Leeper, was also a distinguished British diplomat.