George L. Argyros

George L. Argyros served as the United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and the Principality of Andorra from November 2001-November 2004. He is currently Chairman and CEO of Arnel & Affiliates, a prominent West Coast diversified investment company, with corporate offices located in Costa Mesa, California. He is also a General Partner in Westar Capital, a private investment company. From 1981-1987, he was co-owner of AirCal and from 1981-1989, he was owner of the Seattle Mariners Baseball Club of the American League for nine full seasons.

Prior to his ambassadorship, he was a member of the Board of Directors for Rockwell International Corporation (NYSE); First American Corporation (NYSE); DST Systems, Inc. (NYSE); The Newhall Land and Farming Company (NYSE); Doskocil Manufacturing Company.

Ambassador Argyros formerly served as a member of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations for the US Trade Representative until 1990, when President Bush appointed him to the Board of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). He completed his term on the Freddie Mac Board in March 1993. From 1976-2001, he set a record as the longest serving Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Chapman University, one of the Westýs finest private institutions. He currently remains on the Chapman Board while also serving on the Board of Trustees of the California Institute of Technology, where he formerly served as Chairman of the Investment Committee and currently holds the position of Vice Chairman of the Business and Finance Committee.

Ambassador Argyros is Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Beckman Foundation, a major philanthropic foundation for scientific research. He is former Chairman of the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation; Founding Chairman for the Nixon Center in Washington, DC; Trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former Chairman and Board member of the Orange County Boy Scouts of America.

He was a 1993 recipient of the Horatio Alger Award of Distinguished Americans. He was President and CEO of the Washington DC-based Horatio Alger Association from 1995-1998, Chairman from 1998-2000, and he currently serves as Treasurer and Chairman Emeritus. In 1997, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Pepperdine University, in 2001, he was the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and in 2005, he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Chapman University.

He graduated from Chapman University in 1959 with a major in Business and Economics. He and his wife, Julia, have been married for 45 years and have three grown children and six grandchildren.

Ambassadorial Post(s)

Spain, (2001 - 2005)

Areas of Expertise