Ernst Jaakson

Ernst Jaakson (1937)

Lennart Meri (then foreign minister, later President of Estonia) and Ernst Jaakson (1991)

Ernst Rudolf Jaakson (11 August 1905 in Riga, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire – 4 September 1998 in New York, United States)^[1] was a diplomat whose main contribution was to maintain the legal state continuity of Estonia with his uninterrupted diplomatic service over 69 years (1929–1998), overliving the period of the Soviet occupation of Estonia (1944–1991).^[2] He is recognized by the U.S. Department of State as the world’s longest-serving diplomat.^[3][4]

Education

Jaakson studied economics at the University of Latvia in Riga and law at the University of Tartu in Estonia. He later graduated from Columbia University in New York City with a degree in economics.

Diplomatic career

In 1919, Jaakson joined the Estonian foreign service at the age of 14 as a translator for the ambassador of the newly independent Republic of Estonia in Riga, Latvia. In 1928, he started work in the Information Division of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1929 to 1932, Jaakson worked as the secretary of the Estonian honorary consul in San Francisco. In 1932, he was assigned to the Estonian Consulate General in New York.

When the Soviet Union invaded and occupied Estonia in 1940 and again in 1944, the United States and other democratic nations invoked the Stimson Doctrine and did not recognize the legality of the Soviet annexation of Estonia,^[5] and continued to recognize the diplomatic representatives of the Republic of Estonia.

In 1965, when his predecessor Johannes Kaiv died,^[6] Jaakson became the consul in charge of the legation. Thus, he was the chief diplomatic representative of Estonia in the United States until Estonia was able to restore independence in 1991.

During his years as the representative of the Estonian government which no longer existed, Jaakson maintained diplomatic contacts with Washington and other capitals and helped the Estonian citizens in the West by handing out what came to be known as the "Jaakson Passports".^[7]

Jaakson regularly met with senior U.S. officials to advocate for Estonia’s independence. Notable meetings include meetings with presidents Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967, Richard Nixon in 1971, Gerald Ford in 1976, Jimmy Carter in 1977, and with Ronald Reagan in 1985.

In 1969, he issued a statement for Estonia to the Apollo 11 goodwill messages. Throughout much of the 1980s, Jaakson, as the longest-serving foreign diplomatic representative to the United States, held the position of "unofficial" dean of the Diplomatic Corps. During the long years of the Soviet occupation when representatives of the three Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – were often the object of curiosity or humorous dismissal in the West, Jaakson commanded near-universal respect, and he did so not peremptorily but by his personal authority.

In 1991, Jaakson was appointed Estonia's ambassador to the United States and Estonia's permanent representative to the United Nations. From 1993, Jaakson continued his work as the Estonian consul general in New York.

Autobiography

In 1995, Ernst Jaakson's autobiographical book Eestile (For Estonia) was published, which deals not only with his life, but also gives a very good overview of the diplomatic developments that took place over the years. He died in New York in 1998, at the age of 93.^[8] He worked in the Estonian Foreign Service for 79 years and served as a diplomat for 69 years.

Legacy

Memorial plaque to Ernst Jaakson on the Estonian embassy in Riga, Latvia (on the right, 2021)

In 2025, a block of 34th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan was named Ernst Jaakson Way in honor of Jaakson.^[9]

References

1. "Ernst Jaaksoni sünnist möödus 110 aastat". vm.ee. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia. Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
2. Kändler, Tiit; Lengi-Cooper, Küllike (2002). A hundred great Estonians of the 20th century. Estonian Encyclopaedia Publishers. ISBN 978-9985-70-103-4.
3. Ernst Rudolph Jaakson, 93, Estonian Diplomat-in-Exile The New York Times 25 September 1998 https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/25/world/ernst-rudolph-jaakson-93-estonian-diplomat-in-exile.html
4. Ernst Jaakson: The World’s Longest-Serving Diplomat https://washington.mfa.ee/ernst-jaakson/
5. See, for instance, the position expressed by European Parliament, which condemned "the fact that the occupation of these formerly independent and neutral States [Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania] by the Soviet Union occurred in 1940 following the Molotov–Ribbentrop pact, and continues". European Parliament (13 January 1983). "Resolution on the situation in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania". Official Journal of the European Communities. C 42/78.
6. "Johannes Kaiv". The Daily Item. Port Chester, NY. 22 November 1965. p. 35. Retrieved 13 November 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Paul A. Goble "Ernst Jaakson Way: New York City Honors Estonian Diplomat who Embodied Principle that Force Alone Can’t Destroy a State", Window on Eurasia (November 20, 2025)
8. "Ernst Rudolph Jaakson, Estonian Diplomat-in-Exile". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, FL. September 27, 1998. p. 35. Retrieved November 13, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "NYC's 34th Street Block to Be Named for Longtime Estonian Diplomat". ERR. 11 November 2025. Retrieved 13 November 2025.

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Johannes Kaiv	Consul General of Estonia to the United States 1965–1991	Succeeded by Sten Schwede
Preceded by none	Permanent Representative of Estonia to the United Nations 1991–1994	Succeeded by Trivimi Velliste