THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release March 5, 1996

          THE PRESIDENT NAMES HAROLD GEISEL AMBASSADOR TO 
                    MAURITIUS AND THE COMOROS

     The President today announced his intention to nominate 

Harold Walter Geisel of Illinois, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, as Ambassador to the Republic of Mauritius and to the Federal and Islamic Republic of the Comoros.

Mr. Geisel is currently serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Information Management. He previously served as Deputy Inspector General and Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary for Management. He headed Embassy Administrative Sections in Moscow, Bonn, Tome, Bamako and Bern, and was also U.S. Counsel in Durban, South Africa.

Mr. Geisel was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 11, 1947. He earned a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia. He was a reserve officer in the U.S. Army Field Artillery. He speaks French, Italian and German. He is married to the former Susan Gordon. The Geisels have two children, Jaqui, age 9 and Kathy, age 7.

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