Richard Newton Gardner (July 9, 1927 â February 16, 2019) was an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Spain and the United States Ambassador to Italy. He was also a professor emeritus of law at Columbia Law School.
Gardner was born in New York City, New York, the son of Ethel ( Alias) and Samuel Gardner (former family name was Goldberg). He served in the United States Armed Forces during World War II. Gardner graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. degree in economics. He then obtained a J.D. from Yale Law School and was a Rhodes Scholar, receiving a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Economics from Oxford University. He wrote several books and articles. Gardner became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1974 and a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1998. Gardner died in New York City on February 16, 2019, at the age of 91.