Senator Wyche Fowler, Jr., of Atlanta, Georgia, served as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1996 until 2001. Senator Fowler served for 16 years in the United States Congress, during which time he served as the U.S. Senator from Georgia from 1987 to 1993. First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1977, he was a member of the Ways and Means and Foreign Affairs Committees, the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Congressional Arts Caucus. Before his election to Congress, Senator Fowler practiced law in Atlanta for eight years and was elected at age 29 to the Atlanta City Council. He was selected president of the Council four years later and served in that capacity until his election to the U.S. Congress. A native of Atlanta, Senator Fowler received a B.A. in English from Davidson College in 1962 and a J.D. from Emory University in 1969. He holds honorary degrees from Hofstra University, Davidson College and Morris Brown College. He is the recipient of many honors, including numerous awards for work supporting civil rights in the United States and human rights and freedom around the world. Senator Fowler is now engaged in an international business and law practice, while serving as Chairman of the Board of the Middle East Institute, a non-profit research foundation in Washington, D.C.