Nomination of William Howard Taft IV To Be Deputy Secretary of Defense
January 5, 1984
The President announced today his intention to nominate William Howard Taft IV to be Deputy Secretary, Department of Defense. He would succeed W. Paul Thayer, who has resigned.
Since April of 1981 Mr. Taft has been serving as General Counsel of the Department of Defense. From 1977 to 1981, Mr. Taft was an attorney with the firm of Leva, Hawes, Symington, Martin and Oppenheimer of Washington, DC. Prior to this, Mr. Taft worked in government for 7 years in various capacities. In April 1976 Mr. Taft was appointed by President Ford to be General Counsel of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. For 3 years, from 1973 to 1976, Mr. Taft served as the Executive Assistant to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. From 1970 to 1973, he was the principal assistant to Caspar W. Weinberger, who was Deputy Director, then Director, of the Office of Management and Budget. Mr. Taft served as attorney adviser to the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission in 1970.
Mr. Taft earned his Ph.D. in English from Yale College in 1966 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1969. He resides in Lorton, VA, with his wife, Julia, and their three children. He was born in Washington, DC, on September 13, 1945.
Nomination of Richard A. Derham To Be an Assistant Administrator of the Agency for International Development
January 5, 1984
The President today announced his intention to nominate Richard A. Derham to be an Assistant Administrator of the Agency for International Development (Bureau for Program and Policy Coordination), U.S. International Development Cooperation Agency. He would succeed John R. Bolton.
Since August 1983 Mr. Derham has been serving as Acting Assistant Administrator of the Agency for International Development. He was a member of the law firm of Davis, Wright, Todd, Riese & Jones in 1965 - 1983 and served as managing partner in 1977 - 1982. He was director of Transducers, Inc., in 1977 - 1983 and served as legal counsel to the House of Representatives in Olympia, WA, in 1969 and 1971.
He graduated from Harvard College (A.B., 1962) and Columbia Law School (J.D., 1965). He was born May 29, 1940, in Seattle, WA.
Appointment of Ted A. Smits as a Member of the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission
January 5, 1984
The President today announced his intention to appoint Ted A. Smits to be a member, on the part of the United States of America, of the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission. He will succeed Donald R. Johnson.
Since 1976 Mr. Smits has served as vice president of Pacific Seafood Processors Association in Seattle, WA. Previously, he was assistant director of the Washington Department of Fisheries (Olympia, WA) in 1975; executive director of the Puget Sound Gillnetters Association (Seattle, WA) in 1974; and district representative (Western AA) for the United States House of Representatives in 1969 - 1972.
He is married, has three children, and resides in Edmonds, WA. He was born February 12, 1933, in Zeist, The Netherlands.