In 1961, he and his wife went to Kobe, Japan, as the first Seattle Sister-City Exchange teachers.

In 1966, Jacobsen entered the U.S. Diplomatic Service. After learning Portuguese, he was assigned to Rio de Janeiro. Sao Paulo and Belem, Brazil, before going to Lisbon, Portugal. Later he was posted to Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia. He received a Master’s Degree from Harvard University in 1981.

From 1985-87, Jacobsen traveled to 28 states and Puerto Rico as State Department public affairs spokesman on southern African issues. He moved to the National Security Council as Director of African Affairs in 1988. President Bush appointed Jacobsen Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea-Bissau from 1989-92. He received the U.S, Information Agency’s Superior Honor Award and two State Department Meritorious Honor Awards.

In retirement he worked as a U.N. election official during the 1999 referendum in East Timor and in 2000 spent five months opening the U.S. Diplomatic Liaison office in Dili, East Timor.

Jacobsen remembers Ballard’s James Kourkoumelis for inspiring intellectual skills, political courage and unfailing wit as a mentor stimulating interest in international affairs.