Cairo, he faced a number of challenges, including the Thanksgiving Day attack on the U.S. Embassy Library, which was burned to the ground by a group of African students protesting U.S. policies. Battle was effective and well regarded by his Egyptian counterparts, despite increasing tensions between Gamal Abdel Nasser and U.S. officials. On March 5, 1967, Battle left Egypt to return to Washington to take up the position of Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East and North Africa. (He has the rare distinction among Foreign Service officers of having held the position of Assistant Secretary twice.) Within weeks, Israel attacked Egypt and the Six-Day War began. Later career In 1968, Battle resigned from the Foreign Service to work as Vice President of Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT). Battle turned down two Ambassadorial posts: to Vietnam in the Johnson administration and to Iran in 1977, thereby avoiding captivity during the Iran hostage crisis. He became president of the Middle East Institute, from 1973 to 1975 before returning to Comsat until 1980. Next he started the Foreign Policy Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 1980, and finished his career as president of the Middle East Institute from 1986 until his retirement in 1990. In 1984, Ambassador Battle was awarded the Foreign Service Cup, an award given annually to a retired Foreign Service officer by Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired. Affiliations Battle served on the board of directors of a number of institutions, including: Trustee of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Trustee, Washington Gallery of Modern Art President of the American Foreign Service Association Vice Chairman of Meridian House International Chairman of Governing Board at St. Albans School Member of the Chapter of the Washington National Cathedral President of Bacon House Foundation Trustee of the George C. Marshall Foundation Director of the Foreign Policy Association and the World Affairs Council National Board of the Smithsonian Associates Board of Governors of the Metropolitan Club American Academy of Diplomacy First chairman of the Johns Hopkins Foreign Policy Institute Trustee of the American University in Cairo Chairman of the Visiting Committee for the Center for Middle Eastern Studies of Harvard College Member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies of Georgetown University Advisory Committee, American Near East Refugee Aid Writings Communications and the Economy: Communications and Peace, by Lucius D. Battle, 1975