United States Ambassador to Liberia Nomination of Robert P. Smith.

The President today announced that he will nominate Robert P. Smith, of McLean, Va., to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Liberia. He would replace W. Beverly Carter, Jr., who has been transferred to a new position as head of the State Department's Office of Liaison with State and Local Governments.

Smith was born March 5, 1929, in Joplin, Mo. He received a B.A. in 1954 and an M.A. in 1955 from Texas Christian University. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1946 to 1949 and 1950 to 1952.

Smith joined the Foreign Service in 1955 and served as an information specialist in the News Division, consular officer in Lahore, and economic, then political officer in Beirut. In 1961-62 he took African area studies at Northwestern University under Foreign Service Institute auspices.

From 1962 to 1965, Smith was principal officer in Enugu. From 1965 to 1969, he was officer in charge of Ghanian affairs at the Bureau of African Affairs, and in 1969-70 he attended the National War College.

From 1970 to 1974, Smith was Deputy Chief of Mission in Pretoria. From 1974 to 1976, he was Ambassador to Malta. Since 1976 he has been Ambassador to Ghana.