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 J. Brian Atwood, former administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will join the Hamilton College faculty this fall as the Sol M. Linowitz Visiting Professor of International Affairs in the government department.

The Linowitz Visiting Professorship, established in 1986, is named in honor of Sol Linowitz, a 1935 Hamilton graduate who served as ambassador to the Organization of American States, chairman of the board of Xerox and co-negotiator of the Panama Canal treaties. He was President Jimmy Carter's representative in the Middle East negotiations from 1979 to 1981. The holder of the Linowitz chair teaches an upper-level seminar course while at Hamilton.

J. Brian Atwood was appointed by former President Bill Clinton to serve as administrator for USAID in 1993. In that position, Atwood directed a $7.7 billion program of economic and humanitarian assistance to more than 100 countries in the developing world, in Central and Eastern Europe and in the former Soviet Union. Prior to his USAID assignment, Atwood served briefly as Clinton's under secretary of state for management.

Before joining the Clinton administration, Atwood had been president of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs since 1985. The organization, affiliated with the Democratic Party, promoted democracy in transitional societies around the world and achieved notable success in Chile, Nicaragua, Namibia, Pakistan, Panama, the Philippines and the nations of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Atwood began his career as a management intern at the National Security Agency in 1964. He joined the Foreign Service in 1966 and served in the Ivory Coast and Spain.  In 1972 Atwood became a legislative assistant for foreign policy and defense on the staff of Sen. Thomas Eagleton (D-Mo.). He returned to the State Department in 1977 as deputy assistant secretary for congressional relations and was named assistant secretary in 1979.  In 1981, Atwood became dean of professional studies and academic affairs at the Foreign Service Institute. He was a member of the Association of Deans and of Foreign Service Colleges.

In 1982 Atwood was named vice president in charge of information and analysis at International Reporting and Information Systems. From 1983 to 1984 he served under Sen. Lloyd Bentsen as executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Atwood, a native of Wareham, Mass., received a bachelor of arts degree in history and government from Boston University in 1964 and did graduate work in public administration at The American University. He and his wife, Susan, have two children, John and Deborah.

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