May 31, 1984
The President today announced his intention to nominate Owen W. Roberts, of New Jersey, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, as Ambassador to the Republic of Togo. He would succeed Howard Kent Walker.
Mr. Roberts served in the United States Army in 1943 - 1946. In 1955 he entered the Foreign Service as consular officer in Cairo and was commercial officer in Leopoldville in 1958 - 1960. In the Department he was desk officer for Africa in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (1961 - 1962) and in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs (1963 - 1964). He was political officer in Lagos from 1964 to 1965, and deputy chief of mission in Ouagadougou from 1966 to 1968. He attended the Air War College from 1969 to 1970. In the Department he was staff director of the Board of Examiners for the Foreign Service (1970 - 1971), Deputy Director for Cultural Affairs for Africa (1971 - 1972), a member of the policy planning staff (1973), and Executive Director of the Office of Inspector General (1974 - 1975). From 1976 to 1978, he was Deputy Director of the Sinai Field Mission, Sinai Desert. He was Director of the African Office at the Department of Defense (on detail) from 1978 to 1979, and deputy chief of mission in Addis Ababa from 1979 to 1982. In 1983 he served as African adviser at the United Nations General Assembly. From 1982 to 1984, he was roving Charge in Victoria, Banjul, and then N'Djamena.
Mr. Roberts graduated from Princeton University (A.B., 1948) and from Columbia University (M.A., 1952; Ph.D., 1955). His foreign languages are French and German. He was born March 29, 1924, in Ardmore, OK.