Joseph Verner Reed Jr., Protocol Chief Who Presided Over Colorful Gaffe, Dies at 78 While under President George Bush, Mr. Reed was part of ‘the talking hat’ affair, a slip-up that entered the annals of diplomatic history. Share: Facebook Twitter Google+ Stumble Digg Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to Facebook Related Posts:Drought and Drone Reveal ‘Once-in-a-Lifetime’ Signs of Ancient Henge in IrelandEmirati Prince Flees to Qatar, Exposing Tensions in U.A.E.From Truman to Trump, Queen Elizabeth Has Met 12 U.S. PresidentsU.S. Delegation and Mexico’s Next President Aim to Reset RelationsFeature: Her Husband Was a Princeton Graduate Student. Then He Was Taken Prisoner in Iran.When It Comes to NATO, Do Actions Count More Than Budgets?: the Canada Letter