The President announced today the appointment of Rear Adm. Robert M. Garrick as Deputy Counsellor to the President. Admiral Garrick will report to Edwin Meese III, Counsellor to the President.

Admiral Garrick is on leave from his position as senior vice president of Doremus & Co., an international public relations firm. He was deputy director of the transition for public affairs and served as director of research and policy development of the Reagan-Bush Campaign Committee.

Admiral Garrick attended Los Angeles City College, the University of Southern California, and the University of Hawaii, where he majored in journalism, radio, and aeronautical engineering. During World War II, he served as an enlisted combat correspondent in the U.S. Navy on the staff of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. During his 4 years in the Navy, he advanced from yeoman 3/C to chief yeoman. He was commissioned a lieutenant (j.g.) in the Naval Reserve in 1948 and in 1973 was promoted to the rank of rear admiral, as the Naval Reserve's first public affairs flag officer.

Following World War II, he returned to the Los Angeles Times-Mirror Corp. and served as assistant director of public relations. In 1947 he became director of public relations and advertising for the A. F. Gilmore Co. and the Hollywood Farmer's Market. He founded Robert M. Garrick Associates, a public relations consulting firm, in 1951, serving industrial and commercial firms and associations. In 1973 the firm was incorporated as Garrick Associates, Inc., and in 1975 the corporation merged with Doremus & Co.

Admiral Garrick retired from the Naval Reserve in March 1980 and was awarded the Legion of Merit. His other awards include two Navy Commendation medals, the Asia-Pacific ribbon with 16 combat stars, and the World War II Victory, American Theatre, Naval Reserve Good Conduct, Philippines Liberation medals, and other citations. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and has been awarded the Society's Silver Anvil, the highest recognized award in the public relations field.

Admiral Garrick is married to the former Billie Clair Welsh of Kansas City, Mo. They have two children, Martin Welsh Garrick and Patti Kathleen Garrick. The Garricks reside in Pasadena and Bonsall, Calif.