Nomination of Thomas Michael Tolliver Niles To Be United States Representative to the European Communities

The President today announced his intention to nominate Thomas Michael Tolliver Niles to be the Representative of the United States of America to the European Communities with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. He would succeed Alfred Hugh Kingon.

Since 1985 Ambassador Niles has been the United States Ambassador to Canada. Prior to this he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs, 1981 - 1985. He was Director for Central European Affairs, 1979 - 1981, and served in the United Nations Office for International Organizations at the Department of State, 1977 - 1979. From 1976 to 1977, Ambassador Niles was a student at the National War College. He was director of commercial affairs in Moscow, 1973 - 1976; a political officer for the U.S. mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels, 1971 - 1973; and an economic officer in Moscow, 1968 - 1971. He also served at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 1963 - 1965.

Ambassador Niles graduated from Harvard University (B.A., 1960) and the University of Kentucky (M.A., 1962). He was born September 22, 1939, in Lexington, KY. He is married, has two children, and resides in Washington, DC.