2025 Icons
- Peter Anastos
- Walter Arlen
- Becca Balint
- Samuel Barber
- Andy Cohen
- John D’Emilio
- Colman Domingo
- Billie Eilish
- Cecilia Gentili
- Jeffrey Gibson
- Nikki Giovanni
- Lily Gladstone
- Mel Heifetz
- Sir Lady Java
- Ella Jenkins
- ABilly Jones-Hennin
- Ellsworth Kelly
- Karl Lagerfeld
- Troy Masters
- Sarah McBride
- T. J. Osborne
- Ted Osius
- Ann Philbin
- Chappell Roan
- Harper Steele
- Breanna Stewart
- Arthur Tress
- Cy Twombly
- Ocean Vuong
- Abby Wambach
- Lanford Wilson
Ted Osius
2025 Icon
Ted Osius
U.S. Diplomat
b. 1961
“There are some who think diplomacy is about money and power. It’s not. It’s about relationships.”
Theodore George (Ted) Osius III is one of the first openly gay U.S. ambassadors and a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in international diplomacy. His distinguished career has significantly shaped U.S. relations in Asia, particularly with Vietnam. He is fluent in four languages, including Vietnamese.
Raised in Annapolis, Maryland, Osius graduated from The Putney School in Vermont in 1979. He earned his bachelor’s degree in social studies from Harvard University in 1984, where he wrote for The Harvard Crimson. After a yearlong internship at the American University in Cairo, he served as a legislative correspondent for Senator Al Gore from 1985 to 1987.
In 1989, he completed a master’s degree in international economics and U.S. foreign policy at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. He joined the U.S. Foreign Service, with early assignments in Manila, Vatican City, and at the United Nations. In 1996, he became one of the first U.S. diplomats to serve in post-war Vietnam, where he helped establish the U.S. consulate in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in 1997.
From 1998 to 2001, Osius advised Vice President Al Gore on Asian affairs. He then served as regional environment officer in Bangkok (2001–2004), deputy director of the Office of Korean Affairs (2004–2006), political minister-counselor in New Delhi (2006–2009), and deputy chief of mission in Jakarta (2009–2012).
In 2014, President Barack Obama appointed Osius ambassador to Vietnam, a position he held until 2017. During his tenure, he advanced bilateral relations through defense cooperation, trade agreements, educational programs, and historical reconciliation efforts. He was the first U.S. ambassador to receive the Order of Friendship from the president of Vietnam.
After his ambassadorship, Osius served as vice president of Fulbright University Vietnam, senior advisor at the Albright-Stonebridge Group, and vice president for government affairs and public policy at Google Asia-Pacific. In 2021, he became president and CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council. He also serves on the Asia Foundation’s board of trustees.
Osius has published numerous policy articles and four books. His 2021 memoir, “Nothing Is Impossible: America’s Reconciliation with Vietnam,” recounts his diplomatic work and personal journey.
Osius met a fellow State Department official, Clayton Bond, in 2004. They married in 2006 and have a son and daughter.
