He was born on December 31, 1913, in
Keokuk, Iowa. He was the last person to hold the position of
Under Secretary of State when that was the
U.S. State Department's second-ranking office (1970-1972). In 1972, he became the first person to hold the office of
Deputy Secretary of State, which succeeded the office of Under Secretary; he held that office until February 1, 1973. In both capacities, his superior was Secretary
William P. Rogers. Irwin resigned from the position of Deputy Secretary to serve as U.S.
Ambassador to
France. In 1977, Irwin bought the
Quien Sabe Ranch near
Tres Pinos, California. He died on February 28, 2000, in
New Haven, Connecticut, at the age of 86. == References ==