Brian Urquhart, a foundational leader at the United Nations, dies at 101 Colum Lynch Brian E. Urquhart, who became the second official hired by the U.N. organization after its formation in 1945 and who helped shape and manage the international body through the final years of the Cold War, died Jan. 2 at his home in Tyringham, Mass. He was 101. His daughter Rachel Urquhart confirmed the death but did not provide a specific cause. A principal adviser to five U.N. secretaries general, Mr. Urquhart (pronounced Er-Kut) played a central role in translating the United Nations’ founding principles into action. He said his work at the U.N. was motivated by “idealism of a very practical kind” following his traumatic experiences in World War II.