138. Editorial Note
On December 9, 1961, Ambassador Thompson reported that a “usually reliable source” had told him that Anatoly F. Dobrynin, Chief of the [Page 341] American Section of the Foreign Ministry, would be nominated as Ambassador to the United States. Thompson stated his belief that this was an excellent choice of an official who would like to see an improvement in U.S.-Soviet relations, probably was a personal choice of Gromyko, and whose appointment had some significance as an indication of Soviet policy. (Telegram 1714 from Moscow; Department of State, Central Files, 601.6111/12-961)
Twelve days later Ambassador Menshikov called on Acting Secretary of State Ball to say that he was being relieved by his government and to ask for agrement for Dobrynin. (Memorandum of conversation, December 12; ibid., 601.6111/12-2161) On December 26 Secretary of State Rusk sent President Kennedy a memorandum recording this demarche and indicating his support for Dobrynin. (Ibid., 601.6111/12-2661) The following day McGeorge Bundy informed Rusk that the President approved the appointment, and the same day the Department of State informed the Soviet Embassy and Ambassador Thompson. (Memorandum for the Secretary of State; ibid., 601.6111/12-2761, and telegram 1507 to Moscow; ibid.) As the final act in his tenure as Ambassador, Menshikov called on Rusk on December 29 to report that he was leaving Washington on January 1, 1962. (Memorandum of conversation; ibid., 601.6111/12-2961)