Nomination of David A. Korn To Be United States Ambassador to Togo

September 9, 1986

The President today announced his intention to nominate David A. Korn, of the District of Columbia, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, as Ambassador to the Republic of Togo. He succeeds Owen W. Roberts.

Mr. Korn joined the Foreign Service in 1957 and served as a desk officer for North Africa at the International Communications Agency, now known as AID. In late 1957 he was assigned as political officer to the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France. He returned to Washington in 1960 to serve in the Executive Secretariat. From 1961 to 1963, Mr. Korn was political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. From there, in 1963 - 1964, he took Arabic language training at the American consulate in Tangier, Morocco. From 1964 to 1965, he served as Charge d'Affaires and political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Nouakchott, Mauritania. He then returned as desk officer for Arabian peninsula affairs, 1965 - 1967. Mr. Korn was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1967, where he took Hebrew language training before serving as political officer from 1968 to 1971. From 1971 to 1972, he took mid-career training at Princeton University and then returned to the Department as officer for northern Arab affairs, 1972 - 1975. Mr. Korn became American consul general in Calcutta, India, in 1975 - 1977. He served as a member of the policy planning staff in 1978; became officer director for Arab-Israeli affairs, 1978 - 1981; and was assigned to the Bureau of African Affairs, 1981 - 1982. From 1982 to 1985, Mr. Korn was Charge d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and since 1985 has been a foreign affairs fellow at Chatham House in London, England.

He attended Joplin Junior College and the University of Missouri and received his diploma in 1956 from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris, France, and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (M.A., 1957). Mr. Korn is fluent in French, Hebrew, and Arabic. He served in the United States Army, 1951 - 1953. Mr. Korn is married and has five children. He was born September 1, 1930, in Wichita Falls, TX.