Wyche Fowler, Jr.

Chairman of the Board of Governors
Middle East Institute

A native Georgian, Wyche Fowler currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Middle East Institute. Before assuming this position, he served as US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1996 to 2001. Senator Fowler represented the state of Georgia for 16 years in the United States Congress. Elected to the Senate in 1986, he served as Assistant Floor Leader, where he helped to mold bipartisan consensus for major public issues. Prior to that, Mr. Fowler was a member of the US House of Representatives from 1977-1987.

Before his election to Congress, Fowler practiced law in Atlanta for eight years and was elected in 1970 at age 29 to the Atlanta City Council. Four years later he was selected President of the Council, and served in that capacity until 1977. Senator Fowler received a BA in English from Davidson College in 1962 and a JD from Emory University in 1969. He holds honorary degrees from Hofstra, Davidson and Morris Brown College.