Johnson Selects Bowie For High Federal Post

President Johnson has appointed Robert R. Bowie, Director for the Center of International Affairs, as the State Department's counselor--a high-level policy post.

Bowie has taken a one-year leave of absence from the University, but it was not clear yesterday whether or not he would return to Cambridge when the leave expires in the fall of 1967. Spokesmen at both the State Department and the Center for International Affairs did not know how long a commitment Bowie had made; he was unavailable for comment.

In his new position, Bowie will continue his role as a key government consultant, a role that he has played over the past 15 years. He has held a number of official posts, including Director of Policy Planning at the State Department from 1953 to 1957. While not working full-time for the Department, he has continued to serve the government.

For example, last year, when he was on a sabbatical from the University, he spent a substantial amount of his time (but less than half) in Washington. He is known to be working currently on an important Administration project to predict patterns of international relations into the next decade.

In his own recent work, Bowie has concentrated on problems of the Atlantic Community, and has done a large number of articles and studies in this field. They include a report, done with Theodore Geiger, on the "European Economic Community and the United States," which was prepared for the Subcommittee on Foreign Economic Policy of the Joint Economic Committee of Congress.

Bowie's new position carries with it the rank of Assistant Secretary of State.

A replacement for Bowie at the Center of International Affairs has not been named yet, but an acting director is expected to be selected in several weeks.