Nomination of L. Paul Bremer III To Be Ambassador at Large for Counter-Terrorism

August 13, 1986

The President today announced his intention to nominate L. Paul Bremer III, of Connecticut, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, as Ambassador at Large for Counter-Terrorism.

Ambassador Bremer entered the Foreign Service in 1966 and, as a junior officer, was first assigned to our Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. From 1968 to 1971, he served as a economic/political officer in Blantyre, Malawi. He returned to the Department in 1971 to serve in the following capacities: operations officer; staff assistant to the Secretary of State; Special Assistant to the Secretary of State, and then Executive Assistant to the Secretary of State. From 1976 to 1979, Ambassador Bremer was deputy chief of mission in Oslo, Norway. He was assigned in 1976 as Deputy Executive Secretary of the Department and in 1979 as Executive Secretary and Special Assistant to the Secretary. Since 1983 he has been our Ambassador to the Netherlands.

He graduated from Yale University (B.A., 1963), the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris, France (CEP, 1964), and Harvard Graduate School of Business (M.B.A., 1966). His foreign languages are French, Dutch, Norwegian, Spanish, German, and Persian. Ambassador Bremer is married to the former Frances Winfield, and they have two children. He was born September 30, 1941, in Hartford, CT.

Nomination of David C. Fields To Be United States Ambassador to the Central African Republic

August 13, 1986

The President today announced his intention to nominate David C. Fields, of California, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, as Ambassador to the Central African Republic. He succeeds Edmund DeJarnette.

Mr. Fields began his career in 1960 as an export negotiator for the international division of Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco, CA. In 1962 - 1965 he became an accountant for the Basalt Rock Co. in Napa, CA. From March to May, 1965, he was a sales representative for California-Western State Life Insurance Co. in San Rafael, and then became chief accountant for Thorsen Manufacturing Co. in Emeryville, CA, until 1967. Mr. Fields joined the Foreign Service in 1967 and was first assigned to our Embassy in Libreville, Gabon, as a budget officer. He served there until 1970, when he went to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, as administrative officer. From 1972 to 1973, he took university training at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, returning to the Department in 1973 as a budget officer in the Office of the Budget. In 1975 Mr. Fields was assigned as administrative officer in Tunis, Tunisia. In 1979 he became administrative counselor first in Islamabad, Pakistan, 1979 - 1980, and then at our Embassy in London from 1980 to 1984. Since 1984 he has been Deputy Assistant Secretary for Security in the Department.

Mr. Fields graduated from Armstrong College (B.A., 1960). He is married and has two children. He was born January 13, 1937, in San Pedro, CA.

Nomination of Sam H. Zakhem To Be United States Ambassador to Bahrain

August 13, 1986

The President today announced his intention to nominate Sam H. Zakhem, of Colorado, as Ambassador to the State of Bahrain. He succeeds Donald Charles Leidel.

Mr. Zakhem began his career in 1962 as a cost analyst for the Ford Motor Co. in Detroit, MI. From 1967 to 1972, he was an instructor at the University of Colorado extension, and in 1968 - 1972 he was associate professor, Loretto Heights College in Colorado. He was a foreign student adviser at the University of Denver, 1972 - 1973. Since 1973 he has been a worldwide consultant and lecturer. Mr. Zakhem was a research analyst for the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, 1973 - 1974. In 1976 he became director of corporate relations at Rocky Mountain Orthodontics in Denver, CO; vice president in 1982, and vice chairman, board of directors, in 1985. Mr. Zakhem was a State representative in the Colorado Legislature, 1975 - 1979, and State senator, 1979 - 1983. He was a member of the Board of Directors at the Small Business Administration, 1972 - 1974; the American Ethnic Bicentennial Commission, 1975 - 1976; and was appointed a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on the Peace Corps in 1984.

Mr. Zakhem graduated from the American University of Cairo (B.A., 1957), the University of Detroit (M.B.A., 1959), and the University of Colorado (Ph.D., 1964 - 1970). His foreign languages are Arabic, French, and Spanish. He is married and has three children. Mr. Zakhem was born November 25, 1935.

Nomination of Alexander Fletcher Watson To Be United States Ambassador to Peru

August 13, 1986

The President today announced his intention to nominate Alexander Fletcher Watson, of Maryland, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, as Ambassador to the Republic of Peru. He succeeds David C. Jordan.

Mr. Watson entered the Foreign Service in 1962. From 1962 to 1964, he served as vice consul and third secretary in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. From there he became vice consul at our Embassy in Madrid, Spain, 1964 - 1966. He returned to Washington in 1966 to become an intelligence analyst in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. In 1968 he took a year's university training at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Mr. Watson was assigned in 1969 as political officer at our Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil. He served there until 1973, when he became Country Officer for Brazilian Affairs in the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs. In 1975 he was named Special Assistant for Legislative and Public Affairs in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs until 1977, when he became Deputy Director, Office of Development Finance, and then Director from 1978 to 1979, in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. Thereafter, Mr. Watson was assigned as deputy chief of mission to the following Embassies: La Paz, Bolivia, 1979 - 1981; Bogota, Colombia, 1981 - 1984; and Brasilia, Brazil, 1984 - present.

Mr. Watson graduated from Harvard College (B.A., 1961) and the University of Wisconsin (M.A., 1969). His foreign languages are Portuguese and Spanish. He is married to the former Judith Dawson Tuttle, and they have two children, David Fletcher and Caitlin Harlow. Mr. Watson was born August 8, 1939, in Boston, MA.

Appointment of Winton M. Blount as a Member of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

August 13, 1986

The President today announced his intention to appoint Winton M. Blount to be a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. He would succeed Robert S. Fryer.

Since 1979 Mr. Blount has been chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Blount, Inc., an international engineering and construction firm based in Montgomery, AL; and from 1974 to 1979, he served as president of the company. Previously, he was Postmaster General and Chairman of the Board, U.S. Postal Service, 1970 - 1971; Postmaster General of the U.S. and a member of the President's Cabinet, 1969 - 1970; and president of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, 1968.

Mr. Blount attended the University of Alabama, 1939 - 1941. He is married, has seven children, and resides in Montgomery, AL. He was born February 1, 1921, in Union Springs, AL.

Appointment of H. Eugene Douglas as a Member of the National Graduate Fellows Program Fellowship Board

August 13, 1986

The President today announced his intention to appoint H. Eugene Douglas to be a member of the National Graduate Fellows Program Fellowship Board for the remainder of the term expiring July 18, 1989. He would succeed Eugene Welch Hickok, Jr.

Since 1985 Mr. Douglas has been president of Alpha Environmental, Inc., a biotechnology company in Midland, TX. Previously, he served as the United States Coordinator for Refugee Affairs and Ambassador at Large, 1982 - 1985; and as a member of the Policy Planning Staff of the U.S. Department of State, 1981 - 1982. Before his period of government service, he was the director of international trade and government affairs of the Memorex Corp. in Santa Clara, CA.

Mr. Douglas graduated from the University of Texas (B.A., 1963) and Columbia University (M.A., 1966). Mr. Douglas is married, has one child, and resides in Midland, TX. He was born October 5, 1940, in Wichita Falls, TX.