John Melvin Yates


John Melvin Yates, a Career Foreign Service Officer, held several ambassadorships during his career. He was the American Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Cape Verde, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Benin, and concurrent positions to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.
Yates graduated from Stanford University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
In March of 2000, Yates was slightly injured during an attempted carjacking when he left an embassy function in Cameroon.