Four years ago, when retired U.S. Ambassador Margaret Scobey spoke at a UT Knoxville commencement ceremony, she said that you can always count on your “Volunteer” friends—no matter where life takes you.
Jokes aside, Scobey says her time at UT was special.
Born in Memphis, Scobey began her college career as a political science major but switched to history because she was so impressed with the professor who taught her history of western civilization course.
Scobey worked as the deputy chief of mission in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from September 2001 to November 2003, before receiving her first appointment as U.S. ambassador to Syria. She served in this position for two years before serving as a political counselor in Baghdad. In February 2008, she was nominated and confirmed as U.S. ambassador to Egypt. During the course of her 32-year foreign service career, she also had assignments in Jerusalem, Kuwait, Pakistan and Peru.