when the soviet union occupied estonia in 1940 and again in 1944, the united states and other democratic nations invoked the stimson doctrine, did not recognize the legality of soviet annexation of estonia, and continued to recognize the diplomatic representatives of the republic of estonia. in 1965, when his predecessor, johannes kaiv, died, jaakson became the consul in charge of the legation. thus, he was the chief diplomatic representative of estonia in the united states until estonia regained independence in 1991. throughout much of the 1980s, jaakson, as the longest-serving foreign diplomatic representative to the united states, held the position of "unofficial" dean of the diplomatic corps. during the long years of the soviet occupation when the baltic states' representatives in the west were often the object of curiosity or humorous dismissal, jaakson commanded near-universal respect, and he did so not peremptorily but by his personal authority.