Daniel Howard Simpson (July 9, 1939 – June 6, 2022) ^[2] was an American Foreign Service Officer. He was the United States Ambassador to the Central African Republic (1990–92),^[2] Special Envoy to Somalia^[3] and the United States Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1995–98)^[2] as well as undertaking other overseas assignments in Burundi, South Africa, Zaire (on three separate occasions) Iceland, Lebanon and Bosnia-Herzegovina.^[4] He also served as the Deputy Commandant of the United States Army War College^[3] and on the Board of directors as the Vice President of the National Defense University for the United States Institute of Peace.^[5]

Before joining the United States Foreign Service and becoming a diplomat in 1966, Simpson studied English literature at Yale University and African studies at Northwestern University,^[3] before travelling Africa to teach at the Eghosa Anglican Boys’ School in Benin City, Nigeria,^[4] and at the Libyan Army Military College in Benghazi, Libya.^[3]

After retirement from the Department of State in 2001, Simpson has been a writer and columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Blade^[3] as well as a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy.^[3]