Nomination of Richard Huntington Melton To Be United States Ambassador to Nicaragua

The President today announced his intention to nominate Richard Huntington Melton, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Nicaragua. He would succeed Harry E. Bergold, Jr.

Since 1985 Mr. Melton has been Director of the Office of Central American and Panamanian Affairs at the Department of State, Washington, DC. Prior to this Mr. Melton served as the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Montevideo, Uruguay, 1982-1985. From 1979 to 1982, he was political officer for the U.S. Embassy in London, England and the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal, 1975-1978. Mr. Melton was an international relations officer in the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, 1971-1972, and then became special assistant in the Bureau, 1973-1975. He joined the Foreign Service in 1961.

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