Update: U.C. Berkeley Mourns Death of Alumnus J. Christopher Stevens

Update: Members of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity at the University of California Berkeley mourned the death of U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens with a vigil Wednesday night (watch KTVU video of the memorial service).

U.C. Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau issued a statement Wednesday on the killing of U.S. Stevens. Stevens was a graduate of U.C. Berkeley.

From Chancellor Birgeneau:

Today, the University of California, Berkeley, mourns the loss of alumnus J. Christopher Stevens, U.S. Ambassador to Libya, who perished in yesterday’s shameful attack on the U. S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.  

After studying history at UC Berkeley, Chris, like so many of our graduates, joined the Peace Corps, which took him to Morocco in the early 1980s. This experience sparked in him an abiding interest in and passion for the Middle East, leading eventually to his successful career in the Foreign Service and postings in several Middle Eastern countries.

He played a key role in supporting the Libyan revolution and was a champion for the country’s emerging democracy. His life epitomized the best of UC Berkeley’s graduates, a commitment to excellence at the highest level and a passion for making the world a better and more peaceful place.

On behalf of our campus community, we extend our sincere condolences to his family, colleagues and friends. His family includes another UC Berkeley graduate, his father, Jan S. Stevens, who earned his political science and law degrees here in the 1950s. They are in our thoughts and prayers, as are those who also lost their lives in service to our nation in this terrible assault on our consulate.