Nomination of Richard H. Melton To Be United States Ambassador to Brazil

The President today announced his intention to nominate Richard H. Melton, of Virginia, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Federative Republic of Brazil. He would succeed Harry W. Shlaudeman.

Since 1988 Ambassador Melton has served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs. Prior to this, Ambassador Melton served as Ambassador to Nicaragua, 1988; Director of the Office of Central American and Panamanian Affairs at the Department of State, 1985 - 1988; and deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Montevideo, Uruguay, 1982 - 1985. From 1979 to 1982, he was political officer at the U.S. Embassy in London, United Kingdom; and a political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal, 1975 - 1978. Ambassador Melton was a special assistant in the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, 1973 - 1975, and an international relations officer, 1971 - 1973.

Ambassador Melton graduated from Cornell University (B.A., 1958) and the University of Wisconsin (M.A., 1971). He attended the National War College, 1978 - 1979. He served in the U.S. Army, 1958 - 1961. Ambassador Melton was born August 8, 1935, in Rockville, MD. He is married, has three children, and resides in Alexandria, VA.