The President today announced his intention to nominate S.L. Abbott, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho. He would succeed Keith Lapham Brown. Dr. Abbott served in the United States Army in 1943-1945. In 1953 he began his practice as doctor of optometry in El Paso, TX. In 1965-1982 he was president of Sunland Management Co., Inc., in El Paso and in 1972-1983 director of Valley Bank of El Paso. He was president of Sunland Optical Co., Inc., in 1976-1983, and presently serves as chairman of the board of directors. He was a self-employed rancher from 1976 to 1983. In 1979 he served as director of the Continental National Bank in El Paso, and in 1980-1982 served as director of Pan American Savings and Loan, and president of Sunland Builders, Inc.
Dr. Abbott's government service includes serving as regional director of the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration in Dallas in 1973-1976 and as a member of the Texas House of Representatives in Austin in 1977-1979. In 1979-1983 he was honorary vice consul of Spain in El Paso.
Dr. Abbott graduated from Pacific University (B.S., 1952; O.D., 1953). His foreign language is Spanish. He was born July 23, 1924, in Fairview, OK.
Ronald Reagan, Nomination of S.L. Abbott To Be United States Ambassador to Lesotho Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/261552