Nomination of Three Members of the Commission on Civil Rights

The President today announced his intention to nominate the following individuals to be members of the Commission on Civil Rights:

John H. Bunzel, formerly president of San Jose State University in San Jose, Calif., is currently serving as senior research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, Stanford, Calif. A longtime supporter of civil rights, Dr. Bunzel was honored in 1974 by the board of supervisors of the city and county of San Francisco when he was awarded a certificate of merit for "unswerving devotion to the highest ideals of brotherhood and service to mankind and dedicated efforts looking to the elimination of racial and religious bigotry and discrimination." Dr. Bunzel earned his undergraduate degree from Princeton University (A.B., 1948), his masters degree from Columbia University in 1949, and his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1954. He resides in Belmont, Calif. He was born April 15, 1924, in New York City. Dr. Bunzel is a Democrat and will succeed Blandina Cardenas Ramirez.

Morris B. Abram is currently a partner with the law firm of Paul Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison in New York City. In 1968-1970 Mr. Abram served as president of Brandeis University. Mr. Abram has been long involved in civil rights activities. In 1946 Mr. Abram was a member of the American prosecutorial staff at the International Military Tribunal in Nuremburg, Germany. In 1962-1964 he served as a member of the U.N. Subcommittee on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities by appointment of President Kennedy. Between 1963 and 1968, he served as president of the American Jewish Committee. In 1965-1968 he served as U.N. Representative to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. In 1970-1979 he also served as chairman of the United Negro College Fund. Since 1961 he served as a member of the executive committee of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. He graduated from the University of Georgia (B.A., 1938) and the University of Chicago (J.D., 1940). He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University (B.A., 1948; M.A., 1953). He resides in New York City. He was born June 19, 1918, in Fitzgerald, Ga. Mr. Abram is a Democrat and will succeed Mary Frances Berry.

Robert A. Destro is currently serving as assistant professor of law at the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America, where he teaches, among other courses, constitutional law, church-state relations, and legal ethics. In 1977-1982 he served as general counsel for the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights in Milwaukee, Wis. While at the Catholic League, Mr. Destro developed a legal services department for a nationwide civil rights practice. In 1978-1982 Mr. Destro also served as adjunct associate professor of law at Marquette University School of Law. In 1975-1977 he served as an associate attorney with the law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey. He graduated from Miami University (A.B., 1972) and Boalt Hall School of Law (J.D., 1975). He is married and resides in Arlington, Va. He was born September 6, 1950. Mr. Destro is a Democrat and will succeed Murray Saltzman.