Nomination of George Southall Vest To Be United States Representative to the European Communities

The President today announced his intention to nominate George Southall Vest to be Representative of the United States of America to the European Communities, with the rank and status of Ambassador. He will succeed Thomas O. Enders, who has resigned.

Mr. Vest entered the Foreign Service in 1947 as consular officer in Hamilton. He served as consular officer in Quito (1949-51) and political officer in Ottawa (1951-53). In 1954-58 he was in the Department as Canadian desk officer, then special assistant to the Assistant Secretary for European Affairs. He was political officer in Paris (SHAPE, 1959-60), (USRO, 1960-61), and chief of private office for Secretary General in Paris (NATO, 1961-63). He attended the National War College in 1963-64. In 1965-67 he was Deputy Director of the Office of Atlantic Political-Military Affairs in the Department. He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Brussels (USEC, 1967-69) and (NATO, 1969-71). In 1972-73 he was special assistant to the Secretary for negotiations on CSCE in Helsinki and Geneva. In the Department he was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Press Relations (1973-74), Director of the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs (1973-76), and Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (1977-81).

Mr. Vest graduated from the University of Virginia (B.A., 1941; M.A., 1947). He served in the U.S. Army in 1941-46. He is married, has three children, and resides in Bethesda, Md. He was born December 25, 1918, in Columbus, Va.