THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

            PRESIDENT NAMES BISMARCK MYRICK AS AMBASSADOR 
                      TO THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO

The President today announced his intention to nominate Bismarck Myrick, of Virginia as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Mr. Myrick is a member of the Senior Foreign Service. He has been United States Consul General in Cape Town, South Africa since October 1993. He also served as Consul General in Durban, South Africa from 1990 to 1993. Mr. Myrick began his career in 1959 as a U. S. Army private. He was an infantry company commander in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. He became an army foreign area officer and served in Ethiopia from 1974 to 1975. He was an instructor and then Director of African Studies, Institute for Military Assistance from 1975 to 1979. Mr. Myrick joined the Foreign Service in 1980 and was assigned to Monrovia, Liberia as political officer from 1982 to 1984. The following year he returned to Washington to serve as action officer in the office of Strategic Nuclear Policy, Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs from 1985 to 1987. Mr. Myrick was named Deputy Director of Policy Plans and Coordination in the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs from 1987 to 1989.

Mr. Myrick was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, on December 23, 1940. He earned a B.A. degree from the University of Tampa and a M.A. degree from Syracuse University. He completed additional graduate studies as a Syracuse University Fellow. His languages are Amharic and German. He holds the Department of State's Superior Honor Award and four Meritorious Honor Awards. His military decorations include the Silver Star, Purple Heart and four Bronze Stars for heroism in combat. Mr. Myrick is co-author of Three Aspects of Crisis in Colonial Kenya, published by Syracuse University Press. He has two sons and one daughter.

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