Remarks to the Press Upon Announcing the Nomination of Henry H. Fowler as Secretary of the Treasury

We are hoping we can leave here shortly. But before I left I wanted to tell you I am proud to announce that I sent to the Senate the name of Henry Fowler to be the new Secretary of the Treasury.

Mr. Fowler is a former distinguished Under Secretary of the Treasury, and has not only been recommended by Secretary Dillon but others in the Cabinet. I have conferred with Senator Byrd and Senator Williams, Congressman Mills, Congressman Byrnes, Senator Mansfield, Senator Dirksen, and the nomination will shortly be received in the Senate.

I regard Mr. Fowler as one of the ablest and most dedicated men I know. His years of experience within the Government, and the Treasury Department specifically, have demonstrated both his competence and his diligence. He is in a long line of distinguished patriotic men who have held this post as Secretary of the Treasury and I have no doubt but what he will add luster to it.

I will ask George¹ to get copied for you some of the facts from the FBI, but I will run over them briefly in case you may want them now. He was born in Roanoke, Va., September 5, 1908. Here he is in person. He graduated from Roanoke College, A.B. degree June 1929; attended Yale Law School, attended Yale University in New Haven, Conn., September 1929 to June 1933; received an LL.B. degree in 1932; Doctor, Juristic Science Degree in 1933; employed by Covington and Burling Law Firm; employed by Mr. Jesse Jones of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in the early thirties; Assistant General Counsel of the Tennessee Valley Authority. He served a brief period with the Power Commission. He was Assistant General Counsel, Office of Production Management and War Production Board; he was employed as an Administrator, Department of Commerce; he has been a member of the law firm of Fowler, Leva, Hawes & Symington; married to former Trudye Pamela Hathcote; resides in Alexandria, Va.

I can note 46 other individuals consisting of neighbors, acquaintances, and professional associates testified he is of excellent character and a loyal American citizen.

Q. Has Mr. Dillon resigned?

THE PRESIDENT. We were prepared to exchange letters but we won't get into that until the Senate takes action so that we won't have a vacancy there.

Q. Do you expect Mr. Dillon to stay on until the nomination is confirmed?

THE PRESIDENT. I would hope so. I wouldn't want to get into the prediction game. Drew Pearson is much better at that than I.

Q. When was Mr. Fowler Under Secretary of the Treasury ?

THE PRESIDENT. January 1961 until April of 1964.

Thank you, gentlemen, I'll let you know as soon as I can about when we are leaving. I hope it will be shortly but as you can see I still have some problems.

The Press: Thank you, Mr. President.