Ambassador James Richard Cheek, UALR’s 1992 Distinguished Alumnus, died Saturday, May 14. He was 75. A celebration of the life of was held Wednesday, May 18, at the Roller-Chenal Funeral Home.

Cheek was a 1957 graduate of what was Little Rock University with a degree in business. He joined the foreign service in 1961 and became a career diplomat, serving in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Cheek was the U.S. ambassador to Argentina from June 1993 until December 1996. Prior to that, he served on President-elect Clinton’s transition team at the State Department, following an assignment as Ambassador to Sudan from 1989-92.

Cheek’s assignments overseas included tours at U.S. embassies in Santiago, Chile; London, England; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Managua, Nicaragua. He was deputy ambassador in Montevideo, Uruguay (1977-79) and deputy ambassador, Katmandu, Nepal (1982-85).