Nomination of George Southall Vest To Be United States Representative to the European Communities
August 5, 1981
The President today announced his intention to nominate George Southall Vest to be Representative of the United States of America to the European Communities, with the rank and status of Ambassador. He will succeed Thomas O. Enders, who has resigned.
Mr. Vest entered the Foreign Service in 1947 as consular officer in Hamilton. He served as consular officer in Quito (1949-51) and political officer in Ottawa (1951-53). In 1954-58 he was in the Department as Canadian desk officer, then special assistant to the Assistant Secretary for European Affairs. He was political officer in Paris (SHAPE, 1959-60), (USRO, 1960-61), and chief of private office for Secretary General in Paris (NATO, 1961-63). He attended the National War College in 1963-64. In 1965-67 he was Deputy Director of the Office of Atlantic Political-Military Affairs in the Department. He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Brussels (USEC, 1967-69) and (NATO, 1969-71). In 1972-73 he was special assistant to the Secretary for negotiations on CSCE in Helsinki and Geneva. In the Department he was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Press Relations (1973-74), Director of the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs (1973-76), and Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (1977-81).
Mr. Vest graduated from the University of Virginia (B.A., 1941; M.A., 1947). He served in the U.S. Army in 1941 - 46. He is married, has three children, and resides in Bethesda, Md. He was born December 25, 1918, in Columbus, Va.
Nomination of John Gunther Dean To Be United States Ambassador to Thailand
August 5, 1981
The President today announced his intention to nominate John Gunther Dean, of New York, to be Ambassador to Thailand. He will succeed Morton I. Abramowitz, who has resigned.
In 1950 Mr. Dean entered government service as economic analyst with the Economic Cooperation Administration in Paris. In 1951-53 he was industrial analyst in Belgium and assistant economic commissioner in Saigon, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane in 1953. He was with the Foreign Operations Administration in Saigon in 1953-54 and in 1955 with the International Cooperation Administration.
He was political officer in Vientiane (Department of State) in 1956-59, consular officer in Lome (1959-60), and Charge d'Affaires in Bamako (1960-61). In the Department, he was officer in charge of Mali-Togo affairs (1961-64) and international relations officer (1964-65). In 1965-69 he was political officer in Paris. He attended the Harvard Center for International Affairs in 1969-70. He was on detail to the Agency for International Development as Deputy Regional Director in Saigon in 1970-72. In 1972-74 he was Deputy Chief of Mission in Vientiane. He was Ambassador to the Khmer Republic (1974-75), to Denmark (1975-78), and to Lebanon (1978-81).
Mr. Dean graduated from Harvard University (B.S., 1947; M.A., 1950) and the University of Paris (Ph. D., 1949). He served in the U.S. Army in 1944-46. Mr. Dean is married, has three children, and resides in New York, N.Y. He was born February 24, 1926, in Germany.
Nomination of Richard J. Bishirjian To Be an Associate Director of the International Communication Agency
August 5, 1981
The President today announced his intention to nominate Richard J. Bishirjian to be Associate Director of the International Communication Agency (Educational and Cultural Affairs). He will succeed Alice Stone Ilchman.
Dr. Bishirjian received his Ph. D. from the University of Notre Dame Department of Government and International Studies in 1972. He is the author of two books, ``A Public Philosophy Reader'' and ``The Development of Political Theory,'' as well as 19 scholarly essays and reviews. He is former senior editor of Arlington House Publishers.
His academic career included chairmanship of the Department of Political Science at the College of New Rochelle, New York, since 1972. In 1969-72 he was assistant professor of politics at the University of Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Bishirjian is a trustee of the Philadelphia Society and a member of the International Seminar for Philosophy and Political Science. Recently, he served as team leader of the National Endowment for the Humanities transition team.
Dr. Bishirjian is married, has two children, and resides in Tarrytown, N.Y. He was born June 5, 1942, in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Note: Mr. Bishirjian's nomination, which was submitted to the Senate on September 10, was withdrawn by the President on November 12.