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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release September 8, 1997

                   PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES DAVID L. AARON 
           AS UNDER SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE AT COMMERCE

President Clinton today announced his intent to nominate Ambassador David L. Aaron for the position of Under Secretary for International Trade at the Department of Commerce.

Ambassador Aaron of Sag Harbor, New York, has extensive experience in both national and international issues. Since 1993, he has served as U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In 1996, the White House announced his appointment as Special Envoy for Cryptography, giving him the responsibility of promoting the growth of international electronic commerce and robust, secure global communications in a manner that protects the public safety and national security.

In 1962, Ambassador Aaron entered the Foreign Service where he served in a variety of posts including NATO, the United Nations, and the Strategic Arms talks. After leaving the Foreign Service, he continued in government at the National Security Council, on the staff of Senator Walter Mondale, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and as Deputy National Security Advisor to President Carter. Upon leaving government, Ambassador Aaron became Vice President for Mergers and Acquisitions at Oppenheimer and Company. Prior to becoming Ambassador, he was a Senior Fellow at the Twentieth Century Fund, served on the Board of the National Democratic Institute and the International League for Human Rights, and was a member of the Overseas Development Council and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a recipient of the National Defense Medal, the Pentagon's highest civilian award, and the author of three novels. Ambassador Aaron is a graduate of Occidental College and Princeton University.

As head of the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration, Ambassador Aaron will be responsible for policies and programs that promote world trade and strengthen the international trade and investment position of the United States.

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