The President today announced his intention to nominate George Southall Vest, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Director General of the Foreign Service, Department of State. He would succeed Alfred L. Atherton, Jr.
Since 1981 he has been serving as Representative of the United States of America to the European Communities, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Previously, he served in the State Department as Assistant Secretary for European Affairs in 1977-1981; Director of the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs in 1974-1976; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Press Relations in 1973-1974; and Special Assistant to the Secretary for negotiations on CSCE in Helsinki and Geneva (1972-1973). He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Brussels (USEC, 1967-1979) and NATO (1969-1971).
He graduated from the University of Virginia (B.A., 1941; M.A., 1947). He served in the U.S. Army in 1941-1946. He is married, has three children, and resides in Bethesda, MD. He was born December 25, 1918, in Columbia, VA.
Ronald Reagan, Nomination of George Southall Vest To Be Director General of the Foreign Service Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/259769