Nomination of Edward J. Derwinski To Be Counselor of the Department of State

The President today announced his intention to nominate Edward J. Derwinski to be Counselor of the Department of State. He would succeed James L. Buckley.

He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1958 and has been a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs since 1963. He also serves on the Subcommittees on International Organizations and International Security and Scientific Affairs. He is ranking minority member of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee, on which he has served since 1961, where he is also senior Republican member on the special Subcommittee on Investigations, as well as ex officio member of all other subcommittees. He is cochairman of the Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards. He served as a delegate with the rank of Ambassador to the United Nations for the 1971 General Assembly session.

Congressman Derwinski is the U.S. Congressional Representative on the council of the Interparliamentary Union, an international body comprised of legislators from over 100 countries which have parliaments or their equivalent. He is the regional whip for Republican Members of Congress who represent Midwestern States. He was the first chairman and founder of the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservative House Members who work to promote responsible principles of government. He represents his Illinois colleagues on the National Republican Congressional Committee.

He graduated from Loyola University (B.S., 1951). He served in the Army during World War II. He is married, has two children, and resides in Arlington, Va. He was born September 15, 1926.