Nomination of Julius W. Becton, Jr., To Be Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency

The President today announced his intention to nominate Julius W. Becton, Jr., to be Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He would succeed Louis O. Giuffrida.

Since January 1984 General Becton has been serving as the Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance at the Agency for International Development. In 1983 General Becton retired from the U.S. Army after nearly 40 years of distinguished service. In his last Army post, he reported directly to the Army Chief of Staff and was responsible for institutional training and education in over 300 specialties. In 1978-1981 he commanded the largest U.S. Army Combat Ready Force in the free world (VII Corps) located in Stuttgart, West Germany. He was commander of the U.S. Army Operational Test and Evaluation Agency in 1976-1978, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division (1975-1976), and deputy commander of the U.S. Army Training Center in 1972-1975.

He graduated from Prairie View A&M (B.S., 1960) and the University of Maryland (M.A., 1967). He also attended the National War College. He is married, has five children, and resides in Springfield, VA. He was born June 29, 1926, in Bryn Mawr, PA.