THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

              PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES A. VERNON WEAVER AS 
               U. S. REPRESENTATIVE TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

President Clinton today announced his intention to nominate A. Vernon Weaver of Little Rock, Arkansas to become the U.S. Representative to the European Union with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

During the past 15 years, Mr. Weaver has served as Assistant to the Chairman of the Board of Stephens Group and Stephens Inc., an investment banking firm of Little Rock, Arkansas. During that time, Mr. Weaver also acted as President of Stephens Overseas Services, supervising international operations in Europe and the Pacific Rim. In 1984, at the invitation of the British Delegation of the European Economic Community, Mr. Weaver served as a key advisor to the delegation. In the Carter Administration Mr. Weaver served as Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration from 1977-1981. As Administrator, Mr. Weaver initiated the Certified Bank Program, which transferred administration of government-guaranteed small business loans from the Small Business Administration to certified private banks. From 1964-1976 Mr. Weaver was President and Chief Executive Officer of Union Life Insurance Company of Little Rock, Arkansas. Mr. Weaver presently serves as a Member of the Board of Visitors to the U.S. Naval Academy.

Mr. Weaver was born in Miami, Florida on April 16, 1922. He earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy. He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy from 1946-1953. He is married to Joyce McCoy Weaver and has three daughters, Valerie McNeese, Vanessa Weaver, and Daphne Weaver.

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