Nomination of Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., To Be United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

The President today announced his intention to nominate Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He would succeed Walter Leon Cutler.

Mr. Freeman joined the Foreign Service of the United States in 1965. After service in Madras, India, and in Taiwan, he was assigned to the mainland China desk at the Department of State. He was the principal American interpreter during President Nixon's visit to the People's Republic of China in February 1972. From 1974 to 1975, he was a visiting fellow at Harvard University's East Asian Legal Research Center. He then served successively as the Department of State's Deputy Director for Republic of China (Taiwan) Affairs, as Director of Public Programs, and as Director of Plans and Management in the Bureau of Public Affairs. In 1978 Mr. Freeman became Director of Program Coordination and Development at the U.S. Information Agency, and in 1979 he was named Deputy U.S. Coordinator for Refugee Affairs. In the summer of 1979, Mr. Freeman became Director for Chinese Affairs. From 1981 to 1986, he was successively deputy chief of the U.S. missions at Beijing, China, and Bangkok, Thailand. In 1986 he was named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

Mr. Freeman received a bachelor of arts from Yale University and a juris doctorate from the Harvard Law School. He was born March 2, 1943, in Washington, DC. He is married, has three children, and resides in Washington, DC.