Nomination of William Caldwell Harrop To Be United States Ambassador to Zaire

The President today announced his intention to nominate William Caldwell Harrop, of New Jersey, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, as Ambassador to the Republic of Zaire. He succeeds Brandon Hambright Grove, Jr.

Mr. Harrop was a teacher at Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, MA, 1950-1951. He joined the Foreign Service in 1954, and his first assignment was vice consul, visa officer, in Palermo, Italy. In 1955-1958, he was third secretary, commercial officer at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Italy. He then returned to Washington, first as a personnel assignments officer, 1959-1961; followed as desk officer in the Bureau of European Affairs (EURATOM), 1961-1962; and then was economic officer in the Bureau of African Affairs (Congo-Zaire desk). Mr. Harrop was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Brussels, Belgium, in 1963 as First Secretary, economic officer, and served there until his assignment as consul and principal officer in Lubumbashi, Zaire. From 1968 to 1969, he took a year's training in the Mid-Career Program at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. Mr. Harrop became Director of the Office of Research and Analysis for Africa, 1969-1971. Thereafter he was chairman of the American Foreign Service Association for a year. From 1972 to 1973, he was a member of the policy planning and coordination staff in the Department of State. He was assigned deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, Australia, 1973-1975. He was appointed as Ambassador to Guinea in 1975 and served until 1977, when he became Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs. In 1980 he was named Ambassador to Kenya and served concurrently as Ambassador to Seychelles. In 1983 Mr. Harrop was appointed Inspector General of the Department of State and Foreign Service. He served in that capacity until 1986, when he became Program Inspector General of the Department. Since 1986 he has been Director of Policy and Program Review.

Mr. Harrop was born February 19, 1929, in Baltimore, MD. He graduated from Harvard University (B.A., 1950) and attended the University of Missouri, 1953-1954, and Princeton University, 1968-1969. Mr. Harrop served in the United States Marine Corps, 1951-1952, and is articulate in French and Italian. He is married, has four sons, and resides in Arlington, VA.