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Samantha Smith: America's Youngest Ambassador

© Meg Greene Malvasi

Ten-year old Samantha Smith was confused. She understood that relations between the United States and the Soviet Union were not good, and that the two countries were engaged in a "Cold War." Leaders in both countries reassured the world that they would never start a nuclear war. Why, then, did the the United States and the Soviet Union continue to stockpile nuclear weapons? Samantha thought her mother ought to write to the new president of the Soviet Union, Yuri Andropov. Her mother asked Samantha "Why don't you?" So in the winter of 1982 Samantha Smith sat down to write a letter.

"Dear Mr. Andropov," she began, "My name is Samantha Smith. I am ten years old. Congratulations on your new job. I have been worrying about Russia and the United States getting into a nuclear war. Are you going to have a war or not? If you aren't please tell me how you are going to not have a war. . . . God made the world for us to live together in peace and not fight." The letter was signed, "Sincerely, Samantha Smith."

Little did Samantha realize the tremendous impact the letter would have on her future. After she had written it, her life went on as before. She continued with her studies at Manchester Elementary School in Manchester, Maine, where she was a fifth grader. She played with her Chesapeake Retriever, Kim, roller skated, and read. She almost forgot she had written the letter.

Then in April 1983, while in school, she was called into the principal's office. Afraid she had done something wrong, Samantha was surprised to learn that a phone call, not a reprimand, awaited her. The caller identified himself as a news reporter from United Press International, a large press agency that sends news stories and photographs to newspapers and television stations around the world. Had Samantha written a letter to President Andropov? the reporter asked. If so, he had seen a copy of it in Pravda, the official state newspaper of the Soviet Union. Samantha couldn't believe it. Until then, she wasn't sure that President Andropov had even received her letter!

When she got home from school that day, Samantha sat down and wrote another letter, this one to the Soviet ambassador in Washington, D. C. She hoped that perhaps he could explain to her what was going on. A few days later, the ambassador called Samantha at home and told her that a letter from President Andropov was on its way. On April 25, Samantha and her father stopped by the post office. There, a letter addressed to Samantha was waiting.