John D. Ong
John D. Ong was appointed by President George W. Bush as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Kingdom of Norway in 2001. He served in this capacity until November 30, 2005.
Mr. Ong has had a long and distinguished record as a leader in the business community. Presently Chairman Emeritus of the B.F. Goodrich Company, he retired as Chairman of the Board of Directors in 1997 after more than 36 years of service to the company. He held a variety of positions during his tenure at B.F. Goodrich, including Vice-President and President of International B.F. Goodrich and President and Chief Operating Officer. From 1979 until 1996, he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. In 1984, President Reagan appointed Mr. Ong to the President’s Commission on Industrial Competitiveness, where he served as Co-Chair of its International Trade Committee.
Mr. Ong has played a leadership role in a number of key organizations involved with education and business. He is a life Trustee of the University of Chicago and is a Trustee of Ohio State University, the Musical Arts Association of Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland Orchestra), the Fort Ligonier Association and a Trustee Emeritus of Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. Mr. Ong is a leading advocate for business involvement in civic and cultural activities, both nationally and in northeast Ohio. He is a former Chairman of the Business Roundtable, the National Alliance of Business, the Business Committee for the Arts, New American Schools, Inc., and the Ohio Business Roundtable. He was a member of The Business Council from 1989 until 2005. He is now a member of the Council of Retired Chief Executives and the Council of American Ambassadors. He has served as a Director of seven S&P 500 companies. Mr. Ong is a recipient of the Humanities Award of Distinction from Ohio State University’s College of Humanities, the Alumni Medal from Ohio State University, and honorary doctorates from Ohio State University, Kent State University, the University of Akron and South Dakota State University. He was awarded the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in November 2005.
A native of Ohio, Mr. Ong received both his undergraduate and Master’s degrees from Ohio State University and his law degree from Harvard University. Mr. Ong is married to Mary Lee Ong; they have three grown children.
