Nomination of Frank V. Ortiz, Jr., To Be United States Ambassador to Argentina

The President today announced his intention to nominate Frank V. Ortiz, Jr., of New Mexico, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador to Argentina. He would succeed Harry W. Shlaudeman.

Mr. Ortiz was liaison officer at the United States Senate in 1943-1944 and served in the United States Army Air Force in 1944-1946. In 1951-1953 he was assistant officer in charge of Egypt and Anglo-Egyptian Sudan affairs in the Department of State. He was economic officer in Addis Ababa (1953-1955) and political officer in Mexico City (1955-1957). In the Department he was special assistant to the operations coordinator in the Office of the Under Secretary (1957-1960) and special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (1960-1961). He was special assistant to the Ambassador in Mexico City in 1961-1963. In 1963-1966 he was country desk officer for Spain in the Department. He attended the National War College in 1966-1967. He served as counselor for political affairs in Lima (1967-1970) and Deputy Chief of Mission (Charge d'Affaires, 1973) in Montevideo (1970-1973).

At the Department of State he was country director of Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay (1973-1975) and Deputy Executive Secretary (1975-1977). In 1977-1979 he was Ambassador to Barbados and to Grenada, and United States Special Representative to Dominica and St. Lucia, and to the Associated States. He was Ambassador to Guatemala (1979-1980) and political adviser to the commander in chief of the United States Southern Command in Panama (1980-1981). Since 1981 he has been Ambassador to Peru.

Mr. Ortiz graduated from Georgetown University (B.S., 1950) and George Washington University (M.S., 1967). He attended the University of Madrid (1950) and the University of Beirut (1952). His foreign languages are Spanish, French, and Italian. He was born March 14, 1926, in Santa Fe, N. Mex.