Shimon Peres to Address Grads June 9

SHIMON PERES TO ADDRESS SPRING GRADUATES AT OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

     COLUMBUS -- Shimon Peres, foreign minister of Israel and
winner of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize, will give the commencement
address at The Ohio State University on June 9.  Approximately
5,500 degrees will be awarded in the outdoor ceremonies which
begin at 9:30 a.m. in Ohio Stadium.

     "We are honored that such a distinguished statesman and
world leader will address our graduates, their families, and
friends," said Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee.  "Shimon Peres
has played major roles in almost every significant event in the
history of Israel and is an advocate for peace in the region and
the world.  We are honored to welcome this Nobel Laureate to Ohio
State and look forward to his remarks."

     Peres, 71, began his political career in 1943 when he was
elected secretary of the Labor youth movement.  Four years later,
having been conscripted into the Hagana Defense Forces, he was
assigned responsibility for manpower and arms purchases, which he
continued into the early part of Israel's War of Independence.
     In 1948, he was appointed head of the Israeli navy, and at
war's end he assumed the position of director of the Defense
Ministry's procurement delegation in the United States.

     In 1953, at the age of 29, Peres was appointed by Prime
Minister David Ben-Gurion to the post of director general of the
Ministry of Defense, a position he held until 1959.  During that
period, he developed a special relationship between Israel and
France, established Israel's electronic aircraft industry and was
responsible for Israel's nuclear program.

     In 1959, Peres was elected to the Knesset, Israel's
parliament, and he has remained a member ever since.  For the
next six years, he was deputy minister of defense.

     In 1965, he and Ben-Gurion left the Mapai Labor Party to
join the Rafi (Israel Workers List), where Peres served as
secretary general.  Three years later, he initiated bringing the
Rafi back to Mapai to form the Israel Labor Party.

     He was appointed minister of immigrant absorption in 1969,
and from 1970 to 1974 served as minister of transport and
communication.

     In 1974, after a brief period as minister of information,
Peres was appointed minister of defense, a post he held until
1977.  It was during this period that he masterminded the rescue
of the Israeli hostages at the Entebbe airport.

     After his Labor Party lost the majority in the 1977
elections, Peres was elected chairman of the party, a post he
held until 1992.

     The establishment of a National Unity government from 1984
to 1990 brought Peres back to the national government.  In this
period he served in succession as prime minister, vice premier,
minister of foreign affairs, deputy prime minister and minister
of finance

     In July 1992, after the election of the new Labor
government, Peres was appointed minister of foreign affairs, the
position he holds today.

     In 1994, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his
efforts in advancing peace in the Middle East.

     Peres is the author of 10 books, including The Next Step
(1965), David's Sling (1970), Entebbe Diary (1991) and The New
Middle East (1993).

                                #

Contact: Ruth Gerstner, University Communications, (614) 292-8424


[Submitted by: Von Reid-Vargas (ereid@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu)
               
Fri, 5 May 1995 09:44:30 -0400]
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