With deep sadness The Saratoga Foundation mourns the loss of its board member Clinton I. Smullyan, who died on October 23, 2025. A noted philanthropist with a deep interest in the former captive nations of the Soviet Union, Clint devoted considerable time and resources to halting the spread of Communism, becoming a founding board member of The Jamestown Foundation, where he served for more than four decades. During that time he aided numerous Russian defectors after their escape from tyranny and enabled them to write their memoirs and speak publicly throughout the United States in an effort to combat Soviet disinformation.
Smullyan joined the board of The Saratoga Foundation at its inception, sharing a deep passion for our mission in educating American policymakers about the war in Ukraine and the range of threats, shaping U.S. interests in Eurasia. Saratoga President and Chairman Glen Howard reflected that the passing of Clint Smullyan leaves an immeasurable void in the generation of Americans whose generosity, patriotism, and steadfast opposition to the spread of Communism helped preserve freedom during the Cold War. Clint’s courage and conviction continued throughout his life — whether in the aftermath of 9/11 and the threat posed by Osama bin Laden, or in response to Putin’s Russia — as he devoted his time, intellect, and resources to helping others understand the dangers confronting U.S. national security.
Howard underscored that what made Clint Smullyan exceptionally unique as a board member was his belief—often expressed with wit and humor—that the key to standing out in Washington’s foreign policy world was to harness indigenous voices—whether Russian, Pashtun, or Uzbek—as a model for providing timely, original analysis to the U.S. policy community. Rather than rely on the American media for information, which every decision-maker in DC consumed, he believed that true expertise depended on intuition, extensive research using indigenous sources, combined with a deep understanding of Kremlin politics shaped by decades of studying its culture and politics. Howard believes that it was this key mix of ingredients that were the recipe for success that would make any organization dealing with foreign policy stand out in a city dominated by endless op-eds and opinion.
Founded in 2023, The Saratoga Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to keeping a watchful eye on all things Eurasia, whether it is a revanchist Russia or a rising China bent on dominating Inner Asia and the Eurasian chessboard.
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