United States Ambassador to Malta - Nomination of Lowell B. Laingen

The President today announced that he will nominate Lowell B. Laingen, of Butterfield, Minn., to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Republic of Malta. Laingen was appointed to this position during the last recess of the Senate in November 1976.

He was born on August 6, 1922, in Odin Township, Minn. He received a B.A. from St. Olaf College in 1947 and an M.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1949. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946.

Laingen served as a foreign affairs analyst at the State Department from 1949 to 1950. From 1951 to 1953, he was visa officer in Hamburg, and in 1953-54 he was an economic officer in Tehran. In 1954 and 1955, he was acting principal officer in Meshed.

In 1955 Laingen served as an economic officer in Tehran. From 1956 to 1958, he was deputy officer in charge of Greek affairs at the State Department, and from 1958 to 1960 he was officer in charge of Greek affairs. From 1960 to 1964, he served as political officer in Karachi.

From 1964 to 1967, Laingen was officer in charge of Pakistan-Afghanistan affairs and then political officer at the State Department. He attended the National War College in 1967-68. From 1968 to 1971, he was Deputy Chief of Mission in Kabul.

Laingen was country director for Pakistan-Afghanistan from 1971 to 1973, and for India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldive Islands in 1973-74. In 1973-74 he was also Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.

Laingen was Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European Affairs from 1975 until 1976, when he received the recess appointment as Ambassador to Malta.