Hiram Bingham IV: The Vice Consul in Marseille

The American diplomat who helped refugees escape Nazi-occupied France.

Marseille, 1940

After France fell in 1940, Marseille filled with refugees trying to escape: Jews, anti-Nazi writers and artists, and political opponents of Hitler. Hiram Bingham IV, a U.S. vice consul there, issued visas and travel papers to many of them, often against the restrictive policy of the time.

With Varian Fry

He worked closely with Varian Fry of the Emergency Rescue Committee, a private American effort that helped many well-known artists and intellectuals leave France.

Recognition

Bingham was transferred out of Marseille in 1941 and his career stalled. Decades later, his actions were recognized. The American Foreign Service Association honored him for constructive dissent, and in 2006 the U.S. Postal Service featured him on a stamp honoring distinguished American diplomats.