Nomination of Robert L. Pugh To Be United States Ambassador to Mauritania

The President today announced his intention to nominate Robert L. Pugh, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, as Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. He would succeed Edward Lionel Peck.

Mr. Pugh began his career in the Foreign Service in 1961. He studied at the Foreign Service Institute and then served as an international economist in the Department from 1961 to 1963. He then went back to the Institute for further study from 1963 to 1964. In 1964 he became political/military officer at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, where he served until 1967 when he went to Isfahan as principal officer of the American consulate. From 1969 to 1972, he was political officer in the Office of Turkish Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, in the Department. In 1972 he went to Athens, Greece, to serve as political/military officer until 1976. From there he returned to Washington as congressional relations officer until 1977. From 1977 to 1979, he was political adviser to CINCUSNAVEUR in London. In 1979 he served as Deputy Director of the Office of Southern European Affairs in the Bureau of European Affairs. From 1981 to 1982, he was a personnel placement officer in the Bureau of Personnel. In 1982 he went to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut as deputy chief of mission, where he served until 1984. Since then he has been attending the Executive Seminar in National and International Affairs at the Foreign Service Institute.

Mr. Pugh graduated from the University of Washington (B.A., 1954). His foreign languages are French, Turkish, and Persian. He is married and has two children. He was born October 27, 1921, in Clinton, PA.