THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

                       PRESIDENT NAMES TWO TO THE
                  U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY BOARD OF VISITORS

     The President today announced his intention to appoint Beverly

Byron of Maryland and Vernon Weaver of Arkansas as members of the Board of Visitors to the United States Naval Academy.

Beverly Byron of Frederick, Maryland was a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1978 to 1992. She served on the House Armed Services Committee, eventually becoming chair of the Military Personnel and Compensation subcommittee. She also served as a member of the last Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission.

Ms. Byron has many years of leadership in the areas of defense issues, military personnel, education and training matters. She has prior tenure as a member of the Air Force Academy Board of Visitors, and many years of service to the people of the state of Maryland.

Ms. Byron was born July 27, 1932 in Baltimore, Maryland. She holds honorary degrees from Boston University, Frostburg State University, and Mount Saint Mary's College. She is a graduate of the National Cathedral School, and later attended Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. She is the 1993 recipient of the President's Medal, Johns Hopkins University.

Vernon Weaver of Little Rock, Arkansas, is currently Assistant to the Chairman of the Board for the Stephens Group. During the Carter Administration, Mr. Weaver served as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration. Mr. Weaver pushed for passage of legislation to reorganize minority and disadvantaged business opportunity programs (P.L. 95-507) and initiated the Certified Bank Program, which transferred administration of government guaranteed small business loans from the government to certified private banks. His knowledge of government stems from 18 years experience with the executive branch and Congress. He is highly respected on Capitol Hill for his knowledge of all aspects of the authorization, budget, appropriation, and reconciliation processes. In addition, he has many years of experience directing financial institutions in Asia, Germany, France and Great Britain.

Mr. Weaver was born April 16, 1922 in Miami, Florida. He received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1947. He served as an officer in the United States Navy until 1953.

The Board of Visitors visits the Academy annually and makes inquiries into the morale, discipline, academic methods, curriculum and instruction, and other matters relating to the Academy.