Nomination of John Blanc To Be United States Ambassador to Rwanda

The President today announced his intention to nominate John Blanc to be Ambassador to the Republic of Rwanda. He would succeed Harry Roberts Melone.

Mr. Blanc served in the United States Army in 1953-1955. He entered the Foreign Service in 1956 and was consular and political officer in Mogadishu (1957), in Asmara (1958-1960), and in Salzburg (1960-1962). He attended Northwestern University in 1962-1963. He was political officer in Yaounde in 1963-1966. In the Department, he was country officer for Togo, Dahomey, Chad, and Gabon (1966-1968), and Acting Chief of Northern and Eastern Africa in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (1969). He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Ft. Lamy in 1969-1972. In 1972-1975 he was policy planning officer in the Bureau of African Affairs in the Department, and also Acting Staff Director of the National Security Council Interdepartmental Group. He was on detail as Director of the Bilateral Programs Division of the Office of International Activities at the Environmental Protection Agency in 1975-1977. He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Nairobi in 1977-1980 and a member of the Executive Seminar in National and International Affairs the Foreign Service Institute in 1980-1981. In 1981 he was a member of the United States Delegation to the 36th Session of the United States General Assembly in New York City, Since 1982 he has been special projects officer in the Bureau of African Affairs in the Department.

He graduated from the University of Tennessee (B.A., 1951; M.A., 1956). He attended the University of Vienna in 1952-1953. His foreign languages are German and French. He was born July 15, 1929.