Nomination of Charles H. Thomas To Be United States Ambassador to Hungary

The President today announced his intention to nominate Charles H. Thomas, of Maryland, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Hungary. He would succeed Robie Marcus Hooker Palmer.

Mr. Thomas served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Canadian Affairs at the Department of State, 1986 - 1989. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Canadian Affairs at the Department of State, 1985 - 1986; Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Brussels, Belgium, 1982 - 1985; French language training, 1982; Director of the Office of European Security and Political Affairs, 1980 - 1982; Deputy Director of the Office of European Security and Political Affairs at the Department of State, 1978 - 1980; student at the National War College, 1977 - 1978; counselor for political affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal, 1974 - 1977; Portuguese language training, 1974; and Executive Secretariat at the Department of State, 1973 - 1974. In addition, he served as Director of the Operations Center at the Department of State, 1972 - 1973; Deputy Director of the Operations Center, 1971 - 1972; director of the executive studies seminar for the Foreign Service Institute, 1969 - 1971; Director of the Peace Corps in Uruguay, 1967 - 1969; Deputy Director of the Peace Corps in Honduras, 1966 - 1967; desk officer for the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs for the State Department and the Agency for International Development for eastern Caribbean countries, 1964 - 1966; Third Secretary for the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia, 1962 - 1964; vice consul for Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, 1960 - 1962; and Foreign Service officer for the Department of State, 1959 - 1960.

Mr. Thomas graduated from Harvard University (A.B., 1956). He was born June 23, 1934, in Buffalo, NY. Mr. Thomas served in the U.S. Navy, 1956 - 1959. He is married, has four children, and resides in Bethesda, MD.