Ambassador Walles ’79 Presents Credentials to Tunisian Presidency

Jacob Walles ’79, the new American ambassador in Tunisia, delivered his credentials to the Tunisian presidency on July 24.

A 20-year veteran of the U.S. State Department, Walles has served in a number of posts involving Middle Eastern affairs, including special assistant for the Middle East peace-process in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. He was also First Secretary at the US Embassy to Israel in Tel Aviv.

Walles previously held the rank of Minister Counselor, and before that he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs.

A history major at Wesleyan, he holds a master’s degree from the School of Advanced International Studies at John Hopkins University.

Walles notes that he is the second Wesleyan graduate to be Ambassador to Tunisia: Walter Cutler ’53 served as ambassador there from 1982–84.