Nomination of John Hughes To Be an Associate Director of the International Communication Agency

The President today announced his intention to nominate John Hughes to be an Associate Director of the International Communication Agency for Broadcasting. In this capacity he will serve as Director of the Voice of America. He would succeed James B. Conkling, who has resigned.

Since July 1981 Mr. Hughes has been serving as an Associate Director of the International Communication Agency for Programs. He was president, publisher, and editor of Hughes Newspapers, Inc., Orleans, Mass., in 1979-1981. He founded the company in 1977. He was director and consultant, News-Journal, Wilmington, Del., in 1975-1978; radio correspondent for the Far East for Westinghouse Broadcasting Co. in 1964-1970; weekly television commentator, WBZ-TV, Boston, Mass., in 1962-1964. In 1954-1979 Mr. Hughes held a wide variety of positions with the Christian Science Monitor. He was Africa correspondent in 1955-1961; assistant overseas news editor in 1962-1964; Far East correspondent in 1964-1970; managing editor in 1970; editor in 1970-1976; and editor and manager in 1976-1979. In 1952-1954 he was South African correspondent for the Daily Express in London. Mr. Hughes was a reporter with the London Daily Mirror in 1950-1951.

Mr. Hughes attended Stationers' Company School in London, England, in 1941-1946. He was a Nieman fellow, Harvard University, in 1961-1962. Mr. Hughes was a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting in 1967. He was director and president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1972-1980.

Mr. Hughes is married, has two children, and resides in Orleans, Mass. He was born April 28, 1930, in Neath, south Wales.